


Just Another Ordinary Miracle

by Balletismyobsession



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 05:20:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 49,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6410428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Balletismyobsession/pseuds/Balletismyobsession
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine is sick, and Kurt just wants him to get better. Little do they know that this sickness isn't the normal flu.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Blaine, we're going to be late!"

A muffled groan sounded from underneath the covers. Kurt pulled back the blankets and looked down at his boyfriend who had one eye opened and tried to swat his hand away.

"We need to leave in ten minutes," Kurt informed him with a more gentle tone.

"Okay, okay. I'm getting up." Blaine mumbled and slowly sat up. He watched at Kurt disappeared into the bathroom. He could hear the water running and the shifting of various hair products on the counter. Stretching, he cracked his knuckles and then stood, trying to ignore the headache that had decided to form right on his temples. Great. Blaine squinted in the light and trudged to his closet, pulling open the doors and blindly grabbing his uniform.

Kurt reappeared as Blaine was looping his tie around his neck. "Here, let me help," Kurt said and took the tie from Blaine's slightly trembling hands.

"Thanks," he replied as Kurt swiftly did up the tie and tucked it under his collar. The blue-eyed boy smiled up at him and softly placed his palm on his cheek before gently kissing his nose. Then Kurt turned and grabbed a bagel that was waiting on the desk and held it out to Blaine. He felt his nose wrinkle and his stomach churn. "Umm, actually I'm really not that hungry."

Kurt pulled his hand back a bit, his worried eyes widening slightly. "You should eat." At the brief repulsed look that appeared on his boyfriend's face, Kurt told him, "Well, at least take it so you can eat it later if you want."

Blaine did just that and gave Kurt a small smile. "Thank you."

"Good. Now go take care of that bedhead so we can leave." Kurt grinned and playfully ruffled his hand through Blaine's curly hair.

Blaine flicked on the light in the bathroom and did his hair quickly. He really didn't feel well. All he wanted was to go back to sleep. When he emerged, Kurt already had the door open and let Blaine go through first before he followed and locked their dorm door. Kurt slipped his hand into Blaine's as they walked. "You haven't been eating much lately." Kurt observed and he didn't miss the way that Blaine's head turned away from him so slightly. "And you're always up before me. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he assured Kurt, squeezing his hand and giving him a bigger smile. "It's just that calculus is killing me. I'll be fine once this test is over with."

"Hope so. I really hope you're not getting sick."

"Yeah, me too."

A week later found Blaine on his knees in the bathroom, throwing up what he had eaten of his breakfast. Kurt opened the door and peeked in, and upon seeing Blaine, rushed in and knelt beside him. Blaine barely looked at him as he laid his head in the crook of his arm, breathing deeply.

"Oh Blaine, not again." Kurt sighed and pushed Blaine's hair away from his face. "I'm taking you to the health center."

"No, I don't need to-" Blaine weakly tried to protest.

"This is the third time this week. You're sick, Blaine. You can deny it all you want but we both know it."

Blaine's pounding headache was gone but he was still so tired and he just felt weak all over. He hated hospitals, he really did and even Dalton's on-site health center was enough to make his skin crawl. But even he had to admit that he had caught something.

Kurt tilted his head to look at him and lightly stroked his thumb along Blaine's cheek. "Come on," he said softly and helped his boyfriend to his feet. A rush of dizziness swam over him and he leaned heavily against Kurt with a soft moan. Kurt held onto him tighter, asking if he needed to sit down. When Blaine breathed deeply and shook his head, they started the walk to the health center. Kurt was very glad that their dorm was on the first floor because Blaine looked awful.

They arrived without a problem and Blaine even seemed to be getting strength back as they walked. When they reached the doors, one look at the curly-haired boy wouldn't have revealed anything out of the ordinary. "I'm fine, Kurt. Let's just go back."

Kurt had to agree that the cool air outside seemed to have perked him up, but he wasn't about to let Blaine get away with this. "We're here now. I'm not taking any chances." At the slightly pathetic look on Blaine's face, Kurt's gaze softened. "Hey, it's okay. I'll be right here with you. I know you hate hospitals, but they can help you get better." He kissed the top of Blaine's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Blaine sighed but followed Kurt inside.

After signing in, the boys went to sit in the chairs that lined the wall by a door. Blaine slowly sank down next to Kurt, who grabbed his hand immediately and began to rub soothing circles with his thumb. Blaine hated everything about hospitals. The too-bright lights, the smell of disinfectant, the plastic-y coating on everything. Sure, the health center wasn't a true hospital, but it was close enough and Blaine felt a chill run down his spine. He closed his eyes and hoped that this would be over with soon.

His heart rate rocketed when he heard his name called and he was pretty sure that if Kurt hadn't been there to pull him up, he would have just stayed rooted to the spot. He kept his thoughts focused on his boyfriend's strong hand in his as they were lead down a hallway and into a room. The dark-skinned nurse had Blaine step on a scale, took his blood pressure, and temperature, all while asking him questions that he supposed were to take his mind off of where he was. He told her in short sentences how school was going and what he was planning to do over winter break. She smiled at them and said kindly, "The doctor should be in shortly," and left.

Blaine sat on the paper-covered bed with his legs dangling off the edge. He clasped his hands in his lap and looked at the floor. He barely felt Kurt's hands on his shoulders. "Blaine?" Kurt's fingers gently lifted Blaine's chin up. "Hey, I know you don't want to be here but this really is going to help okay? They're going to get you better and then you don't have to be miserable. Wouldn't you rather be healthy than sick?" He didn't say anything and Kurt just pulled Blaine into a tight hug. "It'll be okay," he whispered over and over. Kurt felt Blaine relax in his arms but that was short lived as he tensed right back up again when the door opened and a man in a white coat stepped in. Kurt pulled away but kept his hand wound in Blaine's, squeezing his sweaty palm tightly.

"Good morning, boys. I'm Doctor Tahn." He crossed the room to sit in front of a computer and pulling up Blaine's charts. He looked up. "I see that you've been weak and tired lately, correct?"

Blaine nodded. "But I feel fine now."

"He's been throwing up. Three times this week."

Blaine sent a glare at Kurt. Leave it to him to out him. Kurt just rubbed his hand lightly. Dr. Tahn stood and began to look into Blaine's eyes, in his ears and down his throat. It went like any other appointment that Blaine had ever involuntarily gone to.

"Well, I don't see anything that should cause alarm. You said you have midterms this week?"

Both Kurt and Blaine nodded a bit sulkily. The doctor laughed lightly. "I'd say that's a major cause of the fatigue. Stress can mess with our bodies more than people think. Make sure you get plenty of sleep and try to get more fruits and vegetables in your diet. How much water have you been drinking?"

And that was it. There was nothing wrong with him. He needed more sleep, more fresh fruits, and more water. Kurt promised to take him back if anything changed, but Dr. Tahn assured him that once midterms were past them, Blaine should be back to normal.

Blaine followed Kurt out of the health center, grumbling about dragging him down there in the first place when there was absolutely nothing to worry about. The good thing was that Kurt felt slightly guilty, so he let Blaine sleep as long as he wanted when they got back to their dorm.

The only thing was… there was this nagging thought in Blaine's subconscious. It was like a buzzing bug that couldn't be ignored, something that kept popping up in Blaine's thoughts whether he realized he was thinking about it or not.

He just didn't know what it was.


	2. Chapter 2

"Blaine, open the door."

"Kurt, I'm fine. Just-" Blaine stopped mid-sentence as he was forced to hang his head over the toilet again.

"You're not fine. I can hear you. Open the door."

Blaine wiped his mouth and sighed. He'd hoped that by turning on the shower, he'd be able to drown out the sounds of him getting sick, but ever since the doctor's appointment a week ago, Kurt had been hovering over Blaine like a lost puppy. Normally, he wouldn't really mind but it was starting to get on his nerves. The doctor had said that nothing was physically wrong with him, so why was it that he was still exhausted and throwing up random times in the day without any reason? Midterms were over. Kurt had been putting fruits and vegetables into everything Blaine ate. He'd also been giving him multiple bottles of water to have throughout the day. Kurt had done everything he could think of to 'de-stress' their living environment, including putting candles by the bathtub, sticking lavender-scented sachets in their closets, and deeming every night at eight 'silent time.' Blaine didn't mind the last change because it meant he got to cuddle with Kurt with no sound aloud and that was nice, but right now all Blaine wanted was to be left alone. Though he knew that Kurt meant well and he was just worried.

"Kurt, please. Just go away."

He heard Kurt sigh and rest his forehead against the door. "Blaine, I'm really worried. You've been sick for three weeks. This is not normal."

The water was still running in the shower. Not normal. Blaine had heard that many times regarding his sexuality or the way he liked to hole himself up in his dorm and sit with his guitar for hours on end. Not normal. Blaine tightened his jaw and flushed the toilet.

Fog had steamed up the mirror and he used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe it away. He leaned close to the mirror, feeling oddly as if he were the one on the other side of the glass. As if the person staring back at him knew something he didn't. He still had that indescribable feeling that something was going on. But he would never let Kurt know that. He didn't need to worry any more than he already was. The doctor had said nothing was wrong with him. And that was it.

It was getting really warm in the small space, with the heat from the shower covering every inch of open air until all that was left to breathe was heat. Suddenly, Blaine felt an uncontrollable need to get somewhere cool. He thought that his body was moving so slowly as he reached for the door and twisted the knob. Locked. His heart rate sped up and he felt that he could be choking on this damp humidity. With a shaking hand he slid the lock over and opened the door, pushing against it and letting it fling open as he burst out. His knees gave out and he dropped to the carpet, white steam pouring out from the open door behind him.

Kurt gave a small jolt of surprise and dropped down next to him, calling his name in a frantic tone that showed just how worried he really was. Blaine spread out his hands against the ground, gulping huge breaths of the sweet, cold air. He swallowed and kept his eyes glued on the strands in the carpet, only looking at Kurt when he was forced to.

Kurt grabbed Blaine by the shoulders and turned his body slightly. "Blaine," he began in a tone that Blaine had never heard from Kurt's lips before. It was almost threatening. "Tell me what is going on right now."

Blaine's body slumped and Kurt was there to hold him in a tight hug as the angry tears began to slowly streak down his cheeks. "I don't know," he whispered. "I don't know but I can't do anything about it."

Kurt's hand moved in light circles on his back. "Shh…. It's okay. It'll be okay. We'll go back to the health center and we'll figure this out okay? I'll be there with you. It'll be okay."

Blaine wished with all of his heart that he could believe him. Because he had no idea what was wrong.

********

Blaine winced as the needle went in the vein that sat just under his skin on the inside of his elbow. He didn't look. The only thing that kept him from bolting out of there was Kurt's firm grip on his other hand. And the fact that he was tired of not knowing what the hell was going on with his body. Sometimes he felt terribly sick, and other times he felt perfectly normal. He just wanted his body to pick something and stick with it. This back and forth thing was getting terribly annoying.

Kurt had taken him back to the health center the next morning. He would have taken him that night, but Blaine just didn't want to leave the room.

He was here now though as Kurt had said before and there really was no way that he could leave, not with the needle in his arm. He felt every beat of his heart as he tried to take deep breaths to calm down, but he swore that he could equally feel the pounding in his veins as his blood left his body. They didn't need that much blood from him, just a small amount for whatever test they were doing, but to Blaine, it felt as though they were sucking him dry. For a moment, his fear came through and he leaned his head down onto Kurt's shoulder. "Can't they take it out now?" he whispered in a voice so small and scared.

"Soon. Soon, baby, I promise. You're doing so good." It was all Kurt could do. He could hold his hand and comfort him.

There was a slight pressure on his elbow and he gasped in the terrible sensation of the needle sliding out of his arm. Gauze was held in place on the small prick that bled for only a few moments, then a band-aid was stuck on his skin. Kurt's hand moved steadily against Blaine's.

"That's it." The nurse said in a warm tone. Kurt smiled up at her as she collected the vial of Blaine's blood and stood. "Results should be back in a few days. You can go ahead and check out at the front desk whenever you're ready."

"Thank you," Kurt replied and watched her leave. This was the last test they were running. They'd taken all of Blaine's vitals, had him pee in a cup, taken blood samples, done everything that they could because physically, there was still nothing wrong. In the back of his mind, Kurt had thought that maybe it was emotional. He'd heard of people making themselves sick without even realizing it, just because they were so stressed or mentally exhausted. Kurt had called Carole and told her everything, because he didn't know if she might have a clue to what it could be. Her advice had been to take him back to the health center and make him comfortable. Well, Kurt had done one of those and he was working on the other.

Blaine hadn't moved.

"Blaine? Do you feel sick again? Can you stand?"

After a moment, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Kurt leaned over and kissed his temple. "Let's go back, okay? We can do anything you want."

Blaine nodded again and stood, rolling down his shirt sleeve over the bandage on his arm. Kurt signed him out and then they walked back to the dorm as the sun shone down on them.

********

The blue-eyed boy made Blaine sit on a chair and then went around making the room 'comfortable.' He pulled out blankets and pillows and piled them in the center of the room by the couch and turned on the TV, loading the DVD player with one of Blaine's favorite movies. Grabbing two cold bottles of water from the refrigerator, he deemed the area complete and allowed Blaine to get up and join him on the ground. With all the pillows and blankets, the ground really was quite soft and Blaine felt like he could just sink into the floor.

The Kurt turned off the lights as the movie began and came to sit, not beside him as Blaine had expected, but behind him. Blaine was perfectly happy leaning back and into the warmth of his boyfriend's body. Though Kurt had other ideas. He brushed Blaine's hair back from his forehead and kissed the top of his head. Then Kurt's slim fingers began to press down on Blaine's shoulders. Blaine let himself relax as Kurt began to rub the tense muscles and releasing this tension he hadn't known he'd been carrying. Kurt dug his thumbs into the grooves by Blaine's shoulder blades, satisfied as he heard the soft moan come from Blaine's lips. All he wanted was to make Blaine feel better.

Blaine leaned back and took Kurt's hands in his, pulling them forward so Kurt's arms were around his shoulders.

"I love you." Kurt whispered in his ear.

And Blaine smiled.

********

A cell phone ringing. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

Blaine answered, glancing quickly at the unknown number. But he knew who it would be. "Hello?"

"Hi, Blaine Anderson?"

"Yes."

Kurt poked his head up from around the magazine he was reading and looked over to where Blaine was leaning against the counter.

"This is Dr. Tahn. I'm sorry to call later than expected, but I was wondering if you'd be able to come in today?"

"Umm, yeah. I guess. Is there something wrong?"

Kurt set aside his magazine at this statement. Blaine turned away from him.

"We just need to ask you a few more questions."

"Oh, uh, yeah. Okay. I'll be there."

Kurt was right behind Blaine, as he'd expected, and he hung up quickly. "Who was that?"

"Dr. Tahn." Blaine said simply.

"Well, what'd he say?"

"I need to go back for some more questions."

"What?" Kurt's eyebrows pulled down. "Why couldn't he just ask you over the phone?"

"I don't know, Kurt." He sighed, a bit exasperated. No one was giving him any clear answers and he was tired of it.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Kurt asked quietly.

Blaine looked up, clear guilt in his eyes for snapping. "I'd like that."

*******

So here they were once again. Blaine had seen more of the hospital than he'd wanted to ever see in the past few weeks. At least Kurt was with him. And he didn't seem mad about Blaine's slight outburst. If anything, he seemed as annoyed as Blaine felt.

Blaine was once again sitting on the paper-covered bed, with Kurt once again holding his hand. Dr. Tahn opened the door, except this time he wore a look of mild excitement mixed with something like worry. It was an odd combination that Kurt found slightly creepy.

"What's going on?" Kurt asked the second the door had closed.

"Blaine, I'd like to talk to you for a moment alone." He said, and Blaine could get nothing out of the tone of his voice.

"Why?" Kurt asked before anyone could say anything else. "You need to tell us what's going on right-"

"I will, Kurt. But I need to speak with Blaine just to verify a few things. Personal questions. I'm sure you'll understand if I can just have you wait outside for a moment."

Kurt's eyes flashed, but Blaine turned to him, trying to sound braver than he felt. "It's alright. I'll be okay."

"You sure?"

He nodded and it was only then that Kurt agreed to wait outside.

Alone and feeling somewhat trapped, Blaine waited for the interrogation.

Dr. Tahn took a deep breath and rifled through some paperwork organized in folders on the desk. He looked up. "I'm going to ask you a few questions and some of them are going to be personal, as I said earlier, and I want you to know that it's okay to not answer what you don't feel comfortable answering. But if you're as truthful as you can be, this will be a lot easier."

Blaine's heart was pounding in his chest. He had some horrible disease. He knew it. He wished now that he had asked Kurt to stay. But he nodded.

"Alright. Good. You said you've been feeling ill for… let's see, close to four weeks now isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Okay. And are you sexually active?"

His heart skipped a beat. "Yes." He didn't like where this was going. They'd taken that step in their relationship months ago. Oh god. What if he had something and gave it to Kurt? What if Kurt got sick too?

"Do you use protection?"

Now he was really scared. "U-usually." His mind was racing. He couldn't remember specific times that they'd not used a condom, but he was sure that there were times when they didn't.

"Blaine, have you ever heard of a carrier gene?"

Now he was just confused. "A what?"

"A carrier gene. I thought not. This is a very new discovery in the world of science and it's making its appearance in sporadic places throughout the world. Little is known about it and research is still being done, but with so few males showing the trait, it's not very well known."

Blaine shook his head, done with all of the dancing around the point. "What are you talking about? What the hell is a carrier gene?"

Dr. Tahn let out a breath, pulling out some sheets of paper from the file he held in his hands. "We had to send your test results to a lab with higher capabilities and we sent out some of your samples as well, to make sure. I know this may be hard to hear, but understand that we can set you up with some of the greatest doctors working in this field of research."

Blaine had no clue what was going on. His fists clenched. It was like he was going to be told he was going to die. He realized he wasn't breathing.

"It's very rare and I do believe you're the first to reveal the gene in the state of Ohio. The carrier gene is a genetic malfunction on the lagging strand of DNA. No one knows how or why it appears the way it does, but in males, it appears that this trait can lead to something extraordinary." He paused and Blaine was about ready to punch him. "It's the ability to conceive a child."

The silence that fell in the room was deafening. Blaine felt his mouth go dry, the words ringing in his ears, hoping that he didn't hear right. He forced his lips to move. "W-what?"

"Blaine, there's really no easier way to put this and I know it must be hard to hear, but I promise you, we've checked these results countless times and conferred with doctors who are specializing in this research. You're pregnant."


	3. Chapter 3

All Blaine could do was sit there. He knew he must have the stupidest look on his face but he could care less. Those two words just kept running through his mind, permeated with his own thoughts.

*You're pregnant.* It's a joke. He can't be serious.

*You're pregnant.* Who the hell does he think he is to say that? There's no way.

*You're pregnant.* This isn't happening. This isn't real. I'm dreaming.

*You're pregnant.*

"Blaine?"

His head snapped up and he realized he'd been staring at the same dot on the cabinet.

"It's a lot to take in, I realize that. But do you have any questions right now?"

Oh, Blaine had a lot of questions. An icy numbness seemed to have settled over his skin and he couldn't make any other words come out. "Are you sure?" he whispered.

Dr. Tahn adopted a sympathetic look. "In all honesty, I didn't believe it was true myself. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in San Diego have been researching this exclusively. Those are the physicians we conferred most with. We've told them about your case, without using your name of course, and they are very interested in working with you. Again, I understand that this is a lot to take in and by no means do any decisions about anything need to be made tonight, but I really would like you to take some time and think this over. I've gathered some articles that may be helpful and I'm giving you my card. Please feel free to call me anytime about anything. We can help you set up anything you need or refer you to the best doctors out there. Whatever you decide, we can get you the help you need, but I'm letting you know that either way you choose, you're going to have to go to another facility. Dalton does it's best, but in this case, it would be in your best interest to go somewhere where they can accommodate someone in your situation."

Blaine could hardly breathe. His head was throbbing. Too much all at once. He really would have liked to pass out and not deal with this for just a moment longer.

"I'm recommending that you go back to the dorms and think about this for a while. Talk with whoever you need to and then give me a call okay? Is there anything I can get you?"

Blaine shook his head stiffly, clutching the folder of newspaper and computer printed articles.

"Alright. No matter what you may be feeling right now, just know that it is going to be okay."

The doctor looked into his eyes and squeezed his shoulder gently before opening the door and letting himself out. It was no surprise that Kurt came barreling through the door asking a million questions. Blaine found himself getting up, curling his fingers around the papers he hadn't even looked at, and walked out. Kurt trailed alongside him.

"What's going on? Blaine, tell me something. Anything. What's wrong?"

"N-nothing." He had to force the words out. "Can you sign me out? We should go back to the room."

Kurt looked so confused and hurt that it almost made Blaine tell him right there. But he wanted them to be alone, so he bit his lip and watched as his boyfriend retreated to the front desk. He was back in a minute and slipped his hand into Blaine's, squeezing softly when he did not pull away.

Kurt had enough sense not to ask what was in the folder in Blaine's other hand.

Blaine was sitting on the couch, the folder held flat in his lap. Kurt was sitting across from him, legs drawn up with his arms draped around his knees. Neither boy said anything. They'd been that way for a while now, just sitting, with Kurt's eyes sometimes dropping down to the folder in Blaine's lap and then back up at his face. Blaine was staring almost trance-like at Kurt's clasped pale hands.

Finally, Kurt broke the silence. "You can tell me anything, Blaine," he said gently. "Whatever happened, I… I want to help you. You're scaring me."

Blaine's heart continued to pound in his chest. And all he could think about was the baby that was apparently growing inside him. He felt like he might throw up again. He didn't move. He didn't want Kurt to be scared and he obviously was, but there just wasn't an easy way to say, "By the way, remember when we had sex? Oh yeah, I'm pregnant."

This wasn't supposed to happen. Girls got pregnant. Guys didn't. But here he was, and he didn't want to believe that it was true. As much as he loved Kurt and as much as he'd thought that it would be great to have a baby with Kurt, he'd only been thinking about adoption. Not only that, but he'd been thinking that they would at least be out of Dalton. They were seniors now, but that didn't make it okay. Blaine knew that Kurt loved him and he'd do anything for him. But this was asking so much. He knew what Dr. Tahn meant when he wanted him to think about 'options,' but he just knew that abortion was not an option. Not only was this gene apparently very rare, but he was lucky to have conceived at all. He wanted to be ecstatic, that they could have a baby together, that the child inside him was Kurt's, but there was so much that made him doubt every scenario that played out in his head. So he stayed silent.

"Blaine?" Kurt's voice was so full of worry that Blaine's heart skipped a long beat. He hated doing this to him, making him worry so much. He had to tell him. No matter what the outcome, Kurt had to know.

Blaine raised his eyes and met Kurt's gaze. The blue eyes held nothing but an almost panic. Blaine felt his palms sweat and the tears filled his eyes. His breath came faster and all he wanted was for Kurt to understand. He couldn't handle it if Kurt thought him a freak too. Just like his parents.

The tears began to fall and Kurt instinctively reached out to Blaine, but Blaine just held out the folder, knowing even without reading the papers inside that they would tell Kurt everything. Kurt wordlessly took the folder and opened it with a longing glance at Blaine. Then he picked out the first paper and began to read. Blaine saw before he looked away. The title, written in thick, bold print was from a web article: Not Your Ordinary Miracle.

Blaine would have laughed if he wasn't trying so hard not to break down sobbing. Ordinary Miracle. It seemed so lighthearted and… well, happy. A miracle was something to celebrate. And Blaine was terrified that everything would come crashing down once Kurt understood. He wanted to believe more in Kurt's love for him, but it was so hard when all of his thoughts kept derailing his concentration.

He watched Kurt's face as he read part of the first article. Confusion. Then he picked up another paper and skimmed that one. More confusion. He held the small stack in his hands and flipped through them. He paused. His eyes grew wider. Blaine heard his sharp intake of breath. Realization.

Kurt looked up, the papers forgotten in his hands. Blaine couldn't meet his eyes. He just couldn't. Then his voice was there, sounding a million miles away, and ringing in Blaine's ears.

"Blaine?" The word was so quiet. "Blaine, are… are you…"

And though Blaine couldn't look into Kurt's eyes, he knew that Kurt was watching him. He made himself nod, knowing that Kurt would see. There was the sound of paper falling to the floor and Blaine let out a soft sob, thinking that Kurt had gotten up and left. But then he was wrapped in the tightest of hugs and it was then that Blaine broke down, everything catching up and crashing over him.

Kurt just held Blaine in his arms and let him sob into his chest, let him clutch at his clothes, and cry until he was hiccupping. Everything that Kurt had ever known told him that he should be freaking out right now, but seeing Blaine so distraught was enough for him to force aside his fears because Blaine needed him.

"It's okay. Shh… it's okay. I'm here. You're okay. I'm here for you."


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you want to do?" Kurt asked, his arms resting gently around Blaine's shoulders. Blaine had stopped crying long ago, but his face was streaked with tears and his eyes were red and puffy.

"I don't know." And Kurt heard the hopelessness in his voice. He really was scared out of his mind and he had a good reason to be, but Kurt just wanted Blaine to be okay.

"If it matters, I still love you. I think I might love you more, if that's even possible. And no matter what you choose, I'll be there for you."

Kurt had no idea how much Blaine needed to be told those exact words. He needed to know that he wasn't alone and that he could somehow get through this. Blaine didn't say anything but just hearing that Kurt still loved him made him able to take a deep breath and begin to think about what to do.

They were quiet for a long time as the sun slowly sank, voiding the world of all color. Blaine chewed on his bottom lip, kept linking and separating his hands together again and again. "Kurt, I…" He stopped and licked his dry lips, preparing himself to say the sentence that had been running through his mind for the past hour. "I want to keep it. I… I can't have an abortion."

He was surprised when he felt Kurt nod against his hair. "Okay."

He pulled back a bit and looked into his boyfriend's eyes for the first time since he'd given Kurt the papers. "Are... Kurt, are you sure? I don't want you to say that just to make me feel better."

"No. I want to. If that's what you want to do, then I'm fine with it. We'll make it work."

Blaine's face must have shown how relieved he felt because Kurt smiled gently and held Blaine's face in his hands. "I told you I'd do anything for you. And that offer doesn't have an expiration date." He laughed lightly and then he smiled, almost giddy. "We're having a baby, Blaine."

A laugh that was mostly filled with relief and a confused happy-feeling came from Blaine's throat. A few hours ago, he wouldn't have thought that he'd be laughing right now. A few hours ago, he thought that his world was going to fall apart.

Kurt kissed him and it was tender and sweet and Blaine almost wanted to cry because he had no idea how he'd ever been so lucky to have found someone like Kurt. Blaine wound his hands in Kurt's.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now." He admitted, the fearful tone returning.

"We should probably tell your parents." Kurt said softly, expecting the reaction that this idea was going to cause.

"No."

"Blaine, they deserve to-"

"They don't deserve anything. They called me a freak when I told them I was gay. I'm not bringing you or…." He trailed off, one hand trembling slightly where it rested a few inches over his stomach, as if he was worried to touch his skin where his child rested underneath. "I can't, Kurt. There's a reason you haven't met them."

"I think they should know." Kurt whispered. "Blaine, they're your parents."

"I wasn't lucky enough to have a dad like you do. Or a stepmom who loves you for who you are. My own mother won't even stand up to my dad. They don't care about me. That's why it was so easy to convince them to send me to Dalton, where they wouldn't have to see me for a year."

Kurt let this sink in and after a moment, he said, "Well, would… would you be okay with telling my parents? We need someone to help us, Blaine. We can't go through this without some guidance. You've met them. They'll do everything they can to help us. You don't even have to talk if you don't want to. I'll say everything."

As much as Blaine did not want anyone to know, he knew that Kurt was right. And if there were any adults he did trust with something like this, it would be Kurt's parents. "Okay."

*********

Kurt had called Carole the next morning and told her that they were coming up for the rest of the week.

"Honey, it's Tuesday. What's going on?"

"We'll explain when we get there okay?"

"Kurt, what happened?"

"We're fine. We're both fine. We just have something to say that can't wait until the weekend. Make sure dad is home tonight. And Finn too. We're leaving now so we should be there around four."

Carole had seemed suspicious, but agreed without pressing the matter further. Kurt was very stubborn when he wanted to be, something he'd inherited from his father.

"You ready?" Kurt turned to Blaine who was sitting in the passenger seat of Kurt's Escalade. Blaine tilted his head to the side. "Yeah."

Kurt gave him a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry."

********

"Hello, boys." Carole called as she opened the door and let them in, each carrying a suitcase. She gave each of them a hug, but when Blaine's back was turned, she gave Kurt a look that clearly said 'we are talking about this later; no objections.' Kurt just nodded.

"I'll leave you guys to get settled then. Kurt, I set up the air mattress in your room but if you need anything else, let me know."

"Thanks mom."

"Thanks Carole," Blaine echoed and he dully realized he was getting another headache.

He followed Kurt into his room, where Kurt abandoned his usual regime of unpacking and organizing everything to sit next to Blaine on his bed. He put his hand on Blaine's knee and let Blaine cover it with his own. "Are you okay with me telling them? You can tell them if you want. Or we can do it together."

"I don't think I can tell them, Kurt." Blaine said.

"Okay. And you're sure you're fine with this?"

"Yes."

Kurt smiled. "Okay. Then I'll tell them after dinner. I meant what I said, Blaine. They'll understand."

Blaine nodded, mainly to appease Kurt. He was still so scared. This had never occurred to him that he could possibly get pregnant and now this was really happening. He really did hope that having this out in the open would help. He'd known for one day now and it already felt like he had to try and hide this giant secret, like anyone who looked at him would know that he was pregnant.

He really hoped that what Kurt said was true.

*********

Blaine's headache had been getting worse. It was concentrated right by his temples and currently pounding behind his eyes. He felt like his brain was being squeezed. Dinner with the Hummels was generally quiet, though as Carole had forbidden Finn to go to Rachel's house, it was turning into a louder affair. Finn was currently ranting about football with Burt and Carole kept throwing sideways glances towards Kurt, who in turn, kept glancing at Blaine.

Blaine was pale and he was just picking at his food. Kurt found his hand under the table and gave his sweaty palm a squeeze. Kurt's heart was thudding against his ribs. It seemed like dinner would never end, when all he wanted was for time to slow down. A catch-22. But he told himself that Blaine was the one who was actually pregnant and he could do this at least and tell his family.

Kurt stole another glance at Blaine, where a sheen of sweat glistened on his brow. His heart panged. He was worried that maybe now wasn't the time for this. Blaine swallowed and closed his eyes and Kurt felt his hand clench in his grasp. Before he could ask though, Blaine released Kurt's hand, pushed his chair away, and bolted to the bathroom. All conversation stopped. Kurt immediately stood, offering the best explanation he could think of. "I'll go check on him. He wasn't feeling well earlier."

He ran out after Blaine, trying to avoid Carole's eyes. Kurt shut the bathroom door gently behind him and kneeled beside Blaine, holding onto his shoulders as he retched. When he was done, he made a small noise like a moan. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I just… I couldn't…"

"I don't care. It doesn't matter. Are you okay?"

He held his head in his hands. "I don't know."

There was a soft knock at the door. The fear in Blaine's eyes made Kurt's heart break.

"It's okay," he whispered to him and then cracked the door, peering out into the hallway.

"Kurt? Is Blaine okay?"

"H-hold on a second." He said and shut the door again, knowing that Carole would be waiting on the other side.

He knelt down beside his boyfriend again. "Blaine. Do you feel okay?"

"Yeah," he said somewhat weakly.

Kurt filled a glass sitting by the counter and handed it to Blaine, who drank the cold water slowly. "I think we should tell them. Now." Kurt could see in Blaine's eyes that he was terrified. "I'll be right there with you. It'll be okay."

And Blaine nodded.

"Alright. Are you ready?" Kurt held out a hand and helped Blaine to his feet.

"As I'll ever be, I guess." He whispered. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's body and kissed his forehead, then took his hand and led him out into the hallway.

Carole followed them back to the table, where Burt and Finn were waiting with equally confused faces. Kurt motioned for his stepmother to sit down, and Blaine did the same. He didn't trust himself to stand on his own two feet. He could barely control the shaking in his hands at the moment. Blaine stared down at his picked-at plate of food and did not move his eyes to look at anyone.

Kurt cleared his throat and began, setting aside his own nervous fears. He was doing this for Blaine. For his baby. Their baby.

"There's a reason that we came here early. Not that we don't love seeing your smiling faces." Kurt laughed, then let his laughter trail away as there very clearly was anything but smiling faces around him. "Anyway, well, there's something Blaine and I need to tell you. All of you. It's going to be hard to believe and I hardly believe it myself, but all we can ask for is your support." He took a breath. "Blaine's pregnant."

The silence in the room was aching. Every eye turned to Blaine, who kept his gaze firmly fixed on the plate in front of him. He was shaking.

Not surprisingly, the first person to speak was Finn. "But…" he addressed Blaine, "you're a dude. Wait. You guys…?" He trailed off, not wanting to picture his brother and Blaine doing that.

Carole looked like she had taken a breath of air and not been able to exhale. Burt held his son's gaze, disbelief written across his features.

Carole spoke next. "How… Well, it was all over the news a few months ago but I never thought… Doctors said it was rare. I never thought to have you tested... Kurt?"

"We didn't know." Kurt told her, but his strength was fading fast. He felt the tears sting his eyes and he tried to blink them away. If Blaine saw him break down…

He lifted his chin and said in a steady voice, "We're keeping the baby."

"Kurt." Burt spoke now. Kurt turned his head towards his father, needing his support most of all.

"Dad," he said and his voice broke despite his best efforts to keep his cover.

"Kurt, is this true?"

All he could do was nod. "I love Blaine, dad. I love him more than anything and I am going to do whatever it takes so that we can be together."

There was a very long pause, where no one spoke and all Kurt could hear was the beating of his heart. He wanted so badly to hold Blaine, because they both needed someone to be there for them now, but he forced himself to wait.

Finally, Burt met Carole's eyes for a brief glance and then addressed his son. "Kurt, I've tried my best to be a good father to you. I know things haven't been easy and I've always admired your strength. If I've taught you anything, it's that family comes first. I know you love Blaine. You don't have to prove that to me. But I want you to know that whatever you two choose, we'll be there for you. You're not going to go through this alone."

Kurt felt his jittering nerves dispel into relief. He walked over and was pulled into a tight hug, tears on his cheeks. "Thank you, dad." He whispered.

Kurt pulled away and saw that Blaine still had not met anyone's eyes. "Blaine?" he said worriedly and went to his boyfriend's side.

Blaine slowly looked up, tears streaking down his cheeks. Carole was there in an instant, to hold Blaine as he cried. Kurt knew the comfort of a mother's arms and he wished so badly that they could tell Blaine's parents. He wanted so much for Blaine to be able to have the same family relationship that he had and that he'd so often taken for granted.

He knew now that telling his parents was the right thing to do. He had no idea how he was going to possibly handle what this pregnancy was going to reveal in the coming months, but in this moment, Blaine felt safe and accepted and that was all that Kurt needed to know that there wasn't anything in the world that he wouldn't do to protect the man he loved and the baby that was theirs.


	5. Chapter 5

The family sat interspersed throughout the living room. Kurt and Blaine took the couch, Burt was in his armchair, and Finn leaned up against the consol that held the dark TV. Carole was in the kitchen, making phone calls. Mugs of coffee or hot chocolate sat close to each person, while the folder of papers had been dispersed, read multiple times, and passed around. Kurt made sure that Blaine only saw the positive articles. He was scared enough as it was and there was no need to shove all the complications in his face. He would need to know eventually, but now was not the time.

There were seven articles. Three from the newspaper and four from the internet.

*A Father's Joy*

*John Tillins, first pregnant male in history*

*Genetic Mutation in DNA Allows Pregnancy in Men*

*The Unexpected is Expecting!*

*"The Male Mother," Thomas Rayton Shares His Story*

*Marcus Helter Speaks Out on Controversial Pregnancy*

*Are the Risks Worth the Outcome?*

Kurt was currently holding the last article in his hand. He was glad that he was turned with his body angling towards Blaine so that he couldn't see the paper. He read the article again.

\--In recent discoveries that shocked the nation and the world, a genetic mutation occurring in approximately 5% of males worldwide has lead to something previously thought impossible. Alex Donald, 34, gave birth to a baby boy last week with his partner, Joshua Donald by his side.  
"It was amazing. We never thought that this could happen. But it's all been worth it," Joshua commented as he held his son, Ryan.  
When the couple first found out they were expecting, it was "a huge shock."  
"We had no clue what we were going to do. Doctors were flocking towards us, offering money and treatments as compensation if we went to their hospital. I can understand why, as this is such a huge discovery in its own right, but the safety of my baby was the most important thing."

The couple turned down most offers and instead, traveled to Florida, where they found a clinic that best suited what they were looking for. A lot of time, money, research, and effort was spent over the course of the months leading up to Ryan's birth, but "It was all worth it in the end."

With every happy story however, there is always an opposite outcome. Thomas Ater of Leeds, England and his partner Zachary were thrilled when they found out they were expecting. But a mere five months into a seemingly normal pregnancy, something went wrong. They were not available for commentary, but after tracking down the doctor who treated Zachary, some sources confer that Zachary's body rejected the baby growing inside him. Not much is known about the hours after Zachary thought he was going into premature labor, but the heartbreaking reality sparks a new debate. Male pregnancy is certainly controversial, and with recent picture-perfect stories like that of Joshua and Alex, will the public continue to see this so-called miracle in a positive light? Or will the shocking story of Thomas and Zachary make male couples who carry the gene rethink a possible life-changing scenario?--

There was more, but Kurt made himself stop reading. He glanced up at Blaine and when he saw that he was buried in his own article, Kurt quickly folded up the paper and tucked it in his pocket.

Carole reentered the living room, after over an hour of being gone, and sat down in a chair opposite Burt's. She held the phone in one hand and Dr. Tahn's business card in the other. "I spoke with Dr. Tahn and he urged that we take Blaine to a facility that can better handle this. I agree, but I wanted to talk with you both."

Kurt shared a glance with Blaine and said, "I want him to go anywhere that will give him the best care."

"I talked with Dr. Tahn, who transferred me to other sites and from hearing what they have to say, I think the best place to go would be the Mayo Clinic in California. It's a long way away, I know that, but I think it'd be what's best for Blaine. Every doctor I talked to promised the utmost confidentiality, which is what we want right now."

"Yeah," Kurt agreed. "That sounds good. What do you think, Blaine?"

He nodded and set aside the paper he was reading.

"It's a big decision to make," Carole regarded the rest of the family, "and I don't know how long he will have to be there or if we'd have to go back and forth. We all have a lot of questions and I think that we should talk with one of the doctors before we finalize anything. And Blaine, if you want, I made an appointment with my OB/GYN. The same one I had when I was pregnant with Finn. I know it's not ideal, but it's something… I can always cancel it though if you'd rather I find someone else."

"No, that… that sounds really good actually." Blaine said. He was so glad that they'd told Kurt's family. And Kurt had been right. They did need their support and guidance. Blaine felt Kurt's hand link with his own and he brushed his thumb along Kurt's palm, meeting his eyes for a moment.

"I want to talk with these guys at the California clinic." Burt announced, standing up. "Carole, can I have that number?"

She handed it to him and he disappeared, taking the phone with him. Carole gave Blaine a smile. "Are you okay honey?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She moved to sit closer to them. "Finn, honey, could you go make us some lunch please? Sandwiches are fine."

Finn hurried away, looking relieved that he was able to avoid the conversation. Kurt had a feeling that they were going to have to have a long talk with him at some point.

"Blaine, have you told your parents?" Carole asked in a soft tone.

The answer was immediate. "No."

"Are you going to?"

"No." Blaine's hand tightened in Kurt's.

She looked like she wanted to say something else, but after a moment, she sighed and placed her hand on his arm. "You know that we will be there for you. If it were Kurt, I would want to know. You don't have to tell them now. But I really do think that it would help." Then she got up and left them.

Blaine turned to Kurt. "Don't say it."

Kurt held up his other hand in surrender. "I'm not. But I'm thinking it."

The curly-haired boy groaned and then he bit his lip and met Kurt's eyes nervously. "Kurt, do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"Yes, Blaine. I do." Kurt's brows pulled down slightly and he pressed his palm to Blaine's cheek. "But if you don't… If you have any doubt at all, if you don't want to do this, just tell me. I won't be mad at you, I won't leave you. I will love you and if you decide to have our baby, I will love him or her too. And if not, that's okay."

Blaine was silent, holding Kurt's gaze. He let out a stuttering breath and whispered, "I want to have a baby with you, Kurt. I think I always knew that I could, but I just didn't know what it was. I am so, so proud to say that I'm having your baby. But, god, Kurt I'm so scared. What if something goes wrong? Or… what if people find out? What are we going to do then?"

Kurt pulled Blaine into a hug. "It'll be okay, Blaine. No matter what happens, I'm going to be there for you and whatever it takes, I will protect you." He pulled back and looked Blaine in the eyes. "I will protect you."

**********

Carole went with Blaine and Kurt to the appointment the next day. She'd had Dr. Tahn transfer all of Blaine's charts over, and even made the appointment in her name after she'd talked with Dr. Herin. Kurt could not think of a way to thank her enough. When he heard how hard she'd been working to keep the truth from coming out, he'd just hugged her, hoping that he could say everything with one motion.

"Carole Hummel?"

She smiled at Kurt and Blaine as they trooped along behind her. Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand. Dr. Lisa Herin was awaiting them as they were led into a room. Carole and Lisa exchanged brief hugs and small talk before the attention was turned to the real reason they were there.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Dr. Herin. I didn't know where else to turn to that was local."

"It's really no problem. It's just a routine consultation right? I do a hundred of those a day. Doesn't matter who it's on." She smiled and turned to Kurt and Blaine. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Lisa."

She held out her hand. Kurt took her hand and shook it. "I'm Kurt," he told her with a smile.

Blaine was next. "I'm pregnant," he said with a hint of dryness. And then he gave her a soft smile too. "Blaine."

"Alright, well I've looked over your charts already. Do you have any questions right now? I'm afraid I can't help with too many of the detailed things, but anything general, I may be able to tell you."

"When can we see if it's a boy or a girl?" Kurt asked and Blaine could hear the excitement in his voice.

"Well, your chart says you're eight weeks along and we generally do the sex ultrasound around eighteen weeks. I'm assuming you haven't been prescribed any prenatal vitamins?"

Blaine shook his head.

"Okay, well we'll run some tests then. Nothing big, just normal vitals."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand. He looked miserable, but complied with completing all of the tests that he'd had done a few days ago.

"You okay?" Kurt asked when Blaine sat next to him once more.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired."

"That's normal." Lisa chimed as she wrote down Blaine's blood pressure. "I expect you'll also feel nauseated, weak, you may get heartburn. Go ahead and take this," she handed Carole a slip of paper, "down to the pharmacy. And these may help." She gave Blaine a small stack of pamphlets and more paper. "Just general information. I'm sorry I can't be more specific, but you're really going to have to go somewhere that specializes in male pregnancy."

"We are," Kurt said. "The Mayo Clinic in California."

Lisa nodded. "I was going to suggest something like that. If you have any other questions, feel free to call or email me. I'm sure you're both very excited. I wish you both the best." She smiled, shook everyone's hand, and they left.

When they arrived at the pharmacy, Kurt turned to Carole. "Could you get that filled for Blaine? I think he should sit down."

She handed him the keys to the car. "Just don't go anywhere," she laughed.

Kurt took Blaine's hand and led him out to the parking lot, unlocking the doors, and climbing in the backseat of the car. Blaine followed right behind him and Kurt pulled him close.

"I still can't believe I'm pregnant." Blaine whispered, but in the silent car, it sounded much louder.

"I know. I have to remind myself that it's not a dream." Kurt stroked Blaine's hair. "I'm so proud of you."

Blaine snorted. "For what? I haven't done anything yet."

"What? I can't be proud of you just because?"

"Maybe." Blaine grinned and snuggled up closer to him. "Kurt, I'm going to have a baby."

Kurt smiled. He doubted that there would be any sentence that would make him feel the same way than those words did when uttered by Blaine. "I know," he whispered. "And you are going to be an amazing father."

"You are too." He paused. "I know can't feel or see her yet, but…" he took Kurt's hand in his own and pressed it to his clothed abdomen. All Kurt could feel was Blaine's muscled stomach, but in knowing that their baby was inside of Blaine, he let out a quick sigh of disbelief.

"Her?" Kurt whispered.

Blaine laughed. "I have a feeling. I know you're not supposed to get your hopes up, but I really want a girl."

Kurt pressed his hand flat against Blaine's stomach. "I love you." He kissed his temple and nuzzled his forehead on Blaine's hair.

A smile appeared on Blaine's lips and he sighed deeply, letting his eyes slip closed in the comfort of Kurt's arms and the darkness of the parking structure around them. There were so many things that could go wrong, he knew that in the back of his mind and sometimes those thoughts popped up when he least expected them. But for now, he was safe and he was here, in Kurt's arms, and things were looking less like a nightmare and more like a wonderful dream.


	6. Chapter 6

There wasn't much they were able to do in the weeks that followed other than continue their routine. Blaine and Kurt both wanted to keep the pregnancy a secret for as long as possible. They knew that they would have to come clean about it eventually, but for now, it seemed easiest to just pretend like everything was normal. Easier said than done though, when Blaine kept having to run out of class and hopefully make it to the bathroom before he threw up. Kurt sat stone-still in his chair when it happened in History after Blaine mumbled some excuse and ran outside, but Kurt was dying to go after him. He could feel his muscles twitch in the want, the need, to run after him and make sure he was okay. He knew of course that Blaine would be fine, but he still felt relief when Blaine reappeared a few minutes later, looking slightly miserable. But otherwise he seemed fine and no one questioned anything.

Until Warblers rehearsal.

Blaine was trying desperately to make it through the next hour. Kurt could see that plainly on his face. No one else seemed to notice though, being too into their own personal bubble. Blaine's face had paled considerably and Kurt kept trying to make him sit down. He knew that Blaine was exhausted and yet, he hadn't lowered any of his standards. He was trying not to bring attention to himself by doing what he'd always done and being the overachiever that he was, now with this new addition in the equation of his life, Kurt was worried it was going to be too much.

"Blaine, sit down. Just sit this one out," he pleaded before they were about to start the next run-through.

"I'm fine, Kurt." He gave him a slightly trembling smile. "I just need some water," he held up a bottle in his hand, "and I'll be okay."

"Blaine-" But Wes called everyone into formation and he just gave Kurt another supposed-to-be-assuring grin and turned away. Kurt sighed and stepped up beside Blaine. He really wished that he had told Wes to go easy on Blaine. But that would have looked suspicious and Blaine had asked him not to. So he'd reluctantly agreed and he'd kept his promise so far. He just hoped that Wes ended rehearsal early for some reason.

Wes leaned up against the chair on the far side of the room and pressed play on the iPod dock. The first beats of the song began to thrum throughout the room. David was taking the lead vocals this time, in order for all of the soloists to practice and Kurt was thankful for that. Blaine had barely made it through his turn, having been given a slightly disapproving look by Wes. David's voice filled the space and the rest of the Warblers hummed along. Kurt kept his eyes on Blaine, who stood beside him. Blaine's gaze was focused on the wall behind Wes as if he was staring at that one spot to glue him to where he was. Everyone else was doing the movements full-out while Blaine was just swaying and to Kurt, looked awful.

As the song went on, he just looked worse. Kurt could see the physical effort Blaine was making to get through the next few minutes. The way his fists clenched, the way he slumped forward slightly, the way sweat dripped from his forehead, the way his face paled, the way his eyes closed momentarily every few seconds. Kurt had to do something. Anything. But he didn't want to draw attention to Blaine, so-

"Stop." Kurt moaned and ran forward, shoving past the Warblers in front of him and thoroughly disrupting the song.

"Kurt, what-" Wes began, straightening up and taking a few steps towards him with his hands out as if to grab him. Kurt made his shoulders slump forward and put on his best 'sick' face.

"I don't feel good," he moaned again. He coughed for good measure. "Can we take a break? It's really hot in here."

Wes steadied him by grabbing onto his shoulders and sinking him down in the closest chair. The rest of the Warblers were closing in, worried looks on all of their faces, but none compared to Blaine. The straight panic in his eyes made Kurt feel slightly bad about what he was doing, but it would be worth it.

Blaine leaned over Kurt, pressing his palm to his forehead. "Kurt, you weren't sick earlier. What happened?"

"I don't know. I just feel awful."

Wes looked at Blaine, then back to Kurt. "I think you should go back to the dorm. Rehearsal's almost over anyway. David, are you okay with ending early? Or we can always run through it again without Kurt."

David nodded. "Yeah, it's fine."

"I'll take him," Blaine said, not surprisingly.

Wes agreed and told Kurt to get sleep. Kurt kept up the act until he was outside, with both doors fully shut behind him. Then he straightened up and asked, "Blaine, are you okay?"

Blaine's mouth opened silently and then a confused look puzzled his face. "What?"

"I'm fine, Blaine. I'm not sick. You, on the other hand, look terrible. You can't keep doing this to yourself. I know you think you can do it all, but you're not Superman. You need to give yourself a break-"

"Wait, so that-" Blaine gestured to Kurt, "that was all just an act?"

"Yes. I had to do something so Wes would let you go without questioning why."

"Kurt," there was a tone bordering on anger in Blaine's voice, "I don't need you to do that. What happens when I actually do get sick and they start questioning that? I can fake it until then but not if you use up our lifelines now!"

"You looked like you were going to pass out! This isn't about just you and me now!" Kurt groaned and lowered his voice, looking around him to make sure no one was around. "This is our baby, Blaine. You need to take care of it. And that means taking care of yourself."

"I appreciate what you're trying to do, Kurt. I really do. But I know my body better than you do, alright? So… just let me call the shots from now on."

"Blaine-"

"Kurt," he sighed. "Please. I'm really tired and I just want to go to sleep. I can't have this argument right now."

The blue-eyes looked at him pleadingly, but Kurt relented and held up his hands. "Alright. For now. But you have to know that I'm just trying to look out for you. For both of you. We can keep it a secret for as long as possible, but I'm not going to jeopardize your health along the way."

"I know," Blaine whispered and led the way back to the dorms. Kurt almost slipped his hand into Blaine's, but at the last moment, he pulled his hand away and left Blaine to his thoughts.

*********

It was dark in the room, completely dark, as both Blaine and Kurt couldn't sleep if there was any kind of light. Kurt was curled up on his bed, eyes closed with only the sound of the humming fan by his bedside to lull him to sleep. But then there was a shifting on his bed and he opened his eyes to see the shadowy outlines of Blaine sitting on the edge of the mattress. Kurt scooted over and the first groggy sound he made was, "Huh?"

Blindly, he reached up to turn on the light but Blaine stopped him. "No. No light. Give me your hand."

Kurt sat up. "Blaine, what's-"

"Couldn't sleep. Come on, give me your hand."

He sighed, practically sensing the smile on Blaine's face in the dark. "What time is it?"

"Not important," Blaine dismissed his question and grabbed Kurt's arm, feeling his way down until he curled his palm around Kurt's fingers. Kurt let Blaine move his hand over. He heard the rustling of clothing and then Kurt's palm met warm flesh.

His eyes widened. He sat up more, pressing his hand down. "Blaine," he sighed, happiness in every breath he took.

"You feel that? I know it's not much, but…"

There were no other words spoken. Kurt stretched his hand over the small, but very much there, bump that had formed on Blaine's abdomen. Kurt let out a soft laughing huff of amazement and brought his other arm up to pull Blaine in close. He held him tightly and kissed his cheek as he felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

No other words needed to be said because there, in this sense of needed isolation and comfort, they were together with no judgmental stares or questioning glances. There would come a time when they couldn't hide this anymore, Kurt knew that. Blaine knew that. But in this moment, they smiled in the dark, holding each other and knowing that it was enough.


	7. Chapter 7

"Are we really doing this?"

"Yes. Unless you don't want to come of course…" Blaine trailed off as he stuck his bag on the oversize conveyer belt. Kurt sighed and hoisted his larger bag up too, watching until they disappeared. "It'll be okay." Blaine smiled and then grabbed Kurt's hand. "I mean, if you want, I can see if Carole can get another ticket and meet us out there."

Kurt and Blaine had decided to go to the Mayo Clinic in California for Blaine's eighteen-week ultrasound. It would be the first time they were going to see their baby. And when they would find out the sex. They'd wanted to do this together and Carole and Burt had stubbornly agreed to let them go on their own, as they would only be gone for the weekend. As much as Kurt loved Blaine, he hated flying. He hated flying as much as Blaine hated hospitals. But he figured that for the amount of time Blaine was going to have to spend in the hospital, he could suck it up and make it onto the airplane. But that didn't mean he was happy about it.

"No, it's okay." Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand and held out their tickets. "One for you and one for me." He tried to laugh, but it came out sounding like a wheezy groan. Blaine just chuckled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Glancing up at the lighted board above baggage check-in revealed that their flight was boarding. Blaine pulled Kurt along after him and they walked until they found boarding gate A and followed the group of people headed to San Diego. Kurt settled himself into the middle seat, thankful that the window seat was unoccupied (and would hopefully stay that way), while Blaine took the aisle seat. When his eyes drifted sideways, Kurt noticed that Blaine was pulling at his shirt and trying to make it settle right over his slightly protruding stomach.

"You look fine," Kurt whispered and at once, Blaine stopped pulling at his shirt. He groaned. "I just feel like everyone knows," he whispered back. Blaine was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a large t-shirt. Kurt knew that he was hoping to hide his body but you couldn't tell unless you knew what you were looking for.

After all of the passengers were in their seats (thank goodness no one had sat next to Kurt), the flight attendants began preparing for take-off. Kurt and Blaine both accepted water when offered and flipped through the magazines stuck in the compartment on the back of the seats in front of them. When the announcement was made to buckle seatbelts, they did so quickly and Blaine glanced at Kurt.

"You okay?"

"Yep." Kurt said in a tight tone. His hands were tense on the armrests and he looked pale. It's only a four hour flight, Kurt. You can do this. He felt Blaine's hand on his and his eyes slid sideways. Blaine gave him a reassuring smile. It was Blaine's first time experiencing one of Kurt's greatest fears and Kurt really hoped that Blaine didn't think that he was being stupid.

The engines roared and the entire plane vibrated. Kurt could feel the shaking in his very bones. Blaine's hand tightened on his. Kurt's breathing came faster and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Kurt?"

He couldn't even look at Blaine. He just shook his head so slightly.

"Kurt?"

"Not now Blaine." He said through clenched teeth. "I'm trying really hard not to freak out or cry right now." Kurt wanted that to come out as a joke, but fear shook his words and broke his voice.

He felt Blaine's hand running up and down his arm soothingly. Then Blaine's lips were at his ear and he was singing softly.

Sing me to sleep,

Sing me to sleep,

I'm tired and I…

Want to go to bed

Blaine's voice was gentle in his ear and Kurt focused solely on that voice. His hand unclenched and wound into Blaine's. Then his stomach dropped as he felt the plane ascending higher and higher. He pushed himself back into his seat, letting out a long breath through his nose. Blaine's voice did not falter and he kept rubbing Kurt's arm soothingly.

Sing me to sleep,

Sing me to sleep,

I don't want to wake up

On my own anymore

Kurt smiled, so glad that the airplane was now airborne and he didn't have to feel the godawful thundering of the engines. Blaine raised up their clasped hands and lightly kissed his fingers. Kurt opened one eye very slowly and saw Blaine's face so close to his. Blaine grinned at him and continued singing.

Sing to me

Sing to me

I don't want to wake up

On my own anymore

There is another world

There is a better world

Well, there must be

Well, there must be

Well, there must be

Well…

His voice faded away and the hammering in Kurt's heart did too. He let out a deep breath. "I think I'm okay now," he told Blaine and he meant it.

**********

The plane ride had gone quite smoothly with Blaine there. Kurt knew that he wouldn't have made it if Blaine hadn't been there to calm him down. He was so grateful that they were together.

They took a taxi to their hotel and checked in, taking the elevator to the second floor and thoroughly collapsing upon reaching their room. They didn't even bother to unpack and spread out on the bed. The way the room was set up, they each had their own bed but they both knew that they wouldn't be using one of them. Kurt curled up on his side and wasn't surprised when Blaine climbed up beside him. He didn't turn his head because he knew that Blaine would slide his hand up over Kurt's hip, then down to his stomach and pull him closer. And he did just that.

Kurt laughed lightly. "So predictable."

"Yeah?" Blaine knew that Kurt liked to be spooned and pulled him even closer. Kurt smiled, feeling Blaine's slightly distended stomach press into his back. Blaine was hugging Kurt like a teddy bear, which to Kurt, was adorable and Blaine's breathing began to slow almost immediately. Travel was tiring on anyone, but he knew that Blaine was exhausted. He stayed where he was, wrapped in the arms of his love, until sleep overcame him too.

*********

Kurt awoke at six A.M. to the sound of Blaine getting sick in the bathroom. The hotel bathroom was nowhere near the size of their bathroom at home or even at Dalton, and Kurt couldn't even comfort him like he wanted to. Blaine was on his knees on the floor, leaning over the toilet and Kurt stepped around him to sit on the edge of the bathtub with his knees wedged up against the toilet. He placed a hand on Blaine's shoulder, gently rubbing and letting him know that he was there.

When Blaine was done, Kurt gave him a sympathetic glance. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Blaine mumbled and got up, flushing the toilet. "It's getting better though. I can't wait until it goes away completely though."

"I could get you milk if you want. Carole said when she had morning sickness with Finn, it tasted the same going down as it did coming back up."

Blaine paled and swallowed hard. "Oh god Kurt, are you trying to make me sick again just on that thought?"

Kurt's eyes widened. "Oh no, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. Let's just… brush our teeth and we can get going."

As Blaine followed him out of the bathroom, he laughed quietly. "I know I wasn't in there that long. It can't be past six fifteen. Our appointment is at ten."

Kurt handed him his toothbrush and attempted to answer, while his own toothbrush was in his mouth.

"Kurt, all I hear is mumbling but I'm sure you're trying to say something adorable, so I'll just reply with, 'why yes, Kurt, I'd love to snuggle while we wait until nine o'clock comes around, and then we can leave.'"

Kurt raised his eyebrows and rinsed off his toothbrush and his mouth. "Not quite what I was trying to say, but I'll take it."

**********

"I'm nervous."

"It'll be fine."

"That's what you said about sneaking into that one park at night. I still don't think I can look at a sandbox the same way again. Or the monkey bars."

"That is an entirely different situation. The cat with the scary eyes just wanted somewhere to sleep. Or pee." He laughed, prying Blaine's hand from the armrest of the hospital armchair and held it tightly in his own. "And the bruise on your forehead wasn't that bad. It's not my fault when I told you to meet me by the slide that you didn't look up before you walked."

"I'm not supposed to have to look up!" Blaine whined. "I'm the short one!"

"Anderson?"

Blaine paused mid-whine and looked up, a scared expression on his face.

"Come on," Kurt said softly and pulled him to his feet to follow after the smiling nurse wearing dark green scrubs.

Kurt could practically feel Blaine's heart race as they walked past the many rooms and were told to wait until the doctor came in. Blaine sank into the chair and Kurt kneeled in front of him, placing his hands on Blaine's knees.

"What's wrong?"

He brought his head up, looking into the beautiful eyes he'd pictured so many times on the daughter he hoped they were having, and said, "What if I can't…" he sighed and ran his hand once over the bump that was now more pronounced with the way he was sitting. "There's so many things that can go wrong, Kurt. What if the doctor tells me I can't have her? Or something's wrong with her? Guys aren't meant to have kids, Kurt. I'm a genetic freak and what if-"

"Stop," Kurt said, voice strong and final, but also gentle. "Don't. You are perfect. If you weren't meant to get pregnant, then you wouldn't have. Stop saying that you're a freak. You are absolutely the most perfect man I have ever met. And if anything does go wrong, there's a whole team of doctors here who are the best in the world. You have nothing to worry about."

Blaine was silent but when Kurt placed a soft kiss on his forehead, he said, "I'm so glad you're here."

A smile pulled at his lips as he whispered, "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

**********

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions and regarding you, Mr. Anderson, I've set aside as much time that you need in order to feel comfortable. We can stay here all day if need be." Dr. Young smiled at them. "Scientists are still researching but you will be the twelfth male to conceive that I've worked with, so you can rest assured that I will be able to answer almost anything."

Kurt liked this doctor. He was patient and seemed genuinely kind and interested in Blaine's overall health, as well as the health of their baby. He could sense that Blaine was relaxing and that was the major thing to deal with at the moment.

"Before we start the ultrasound, I was wondering if you had any general questions?"

"We really don't know anything," Kurt admitted, looking to Blaine, who did not disagree. "The only doctor we were able to see could only treat Blaine like he was a woman, in the pregnancy information department. Does anything change though in development or anything?"

"The baby will grow in almost exactly the same way as in a female pregnancy. Blaine's symptoms should follow the same track as any normal pregnancy would. There might be some discomfort in the six, seventh, and eighth month as the birth canal forms. It shouldn't be too painful, just uncomfortable."

When Blaine spoke, his voice was small and Kurt could hear the fear that laced his words. "S-so… I can have the baby naturally?"

"As in all pregnancies, there is a chance that you may have to have a cesarean section, but we've found that really the only thing that hinders a male's ability to have a natural birth is that the hips are set narrower than a woman's. This will make the overall process of labor more uncomfortable unfortunately and the birth itself will be harder. A cesarean is a major surgery so we try to avoid it if we can, but in some cases, a cesarean is safer for the baby and the father. It depends on how your body handles labor and the pregnancy in general. A male pregnancy is automatically considered a high-risk pregnancy and in the majority of cases, the fathers deliver around the end of the eighth month because their bodies aren't readily adapted to carry a baby. Your body will adjust in what ways it can but yours will still be considered a high-risk pregnancy. We recommend that fathers come to the center in the end of the seventh month so we can monitor the health of the baby during the last month."

Blaine let out a deep breath and it was all Kurt could do to not pull him into a tight hug.

"Don't look so scared, Blaine," Dr. Young addressed him gently. "I know it's all a lot of information and it's normal to feel some degree of apprehension. I'd actually be worried if you felt just fine."

"What if something goes wrong? What if my body can't handle it?"

"The only thing we can ask you to do right now is to relax and stop stressing yourself out. Let what will happen, happen and try not to dwell on the negative thoughts. I can answer any other questions now or you can always email me or call me whenever you want to. I've been assigned specifically to you, to help you in any way that I can. And if I can't, I'll find someone who will. You're not alone in this, Blaine."

To Kurt's relief, a very small smile appeared on Blaine's face. He stroked his cold fingers lightly.

"Do you have any more questions for the time being?"

They both shook their heads, knowing what was going to happen next and both feeling the nervousness creep back up.

"Alright," she smiled. "Then let's take a look, shall we?"

She motioned for Blaine to sit up on the bed, which he did after taking a deep breath. Kurt followed along and stood beside him, opposite Dr. Young.

"This should only take a few minutes." She told them, turning on the machine and letting the flickering lights become brighter. Then she moved to turn off the lights as it was easier to see the screen in the dark. Returning to her chair, she pulled out the transducer wand, squirted it with the blue-tinted goop and scooted closer to Blaine.

"Go ahead and lift up your shirt for me."

Blaine did, and turned his eyes to Kurt. There was something in his gaze, something fearful that made Kurt's heart ache. He grabbed onto Blaine's hand and leaned in close, their cheeks almost touching. Blaine winced when the wand made contact with his skin, but relaxed as Kurt gently nuzzled his nose on Blaine's cheek. His breathing began to even out as he unwound his tense muscles, imagining that he was sinking into the bed. It was quiet for a while as Dr. Young tried to get the image in the clearest position. She held the wand in one place, pressing in a bit deeper. Blaine closed his eyes. He was anywhere but here, in this hospital-esque clinic. Anywhere but here.

There was the sound of typing and then the wand was removed. A quick squeaking noise, like something being turned. Kurt sighed, the most powerful type of silent amazement in his voice.

"Oh, Blaine," he whispered. "Blaine, look."

Blaine opened his eyes and turned his head in the direction that Kurt was looking. The screen was turned towards them, obnoxiously bright in the dark room but that was of little importance. The freeze-frame image showed a blur of black and white pixels. Blaine felt his heart stop in his chest and then pound out at a stuttered rhythm.

"There's the head," Dr. Young ran her finger over a circular section, then brought her finger down, "and there's a foot."

Blaine didn't need to look at Kurt to know that he was crying. Kurt only ever got that quiet, the kind of quiet that you can feel in your very heart, when he was sleeping or crying.

"Wow," Blaine breathed. It was the only sound he could make. Seeing the picture, no matter how small or grainy it was, solidified this very-real fact that he was having a baby. That was his baby, Kurt's baby, up on the screen. This was real. This was happening. The baby inside him is a real, living human being.

"It's amazing, isn't it? Looks very healthy and seems to be developing nicely." Dr. Young said as she turned the screen back towards her. "I can take another scan if you'd like to know the sex."

"Yes," Kurt said, just as Blaine simultaneously said, "No."

Kurt whipped his head around. "What do you mean no?"

"I don't want to know the sex until after."

Kurt looked at him like he was crazy, and then sighed. "Well, okay. Are you sure? That's a long time to wait."

"We can always do another ultrasound later if you change your mind." Dr. Young supplied as she watched them.

"Kurt," Blaine tilted his chin up to look into his eyes, "I don't want to know. But that doesn't mean that you can't."

Kurt's mouth fell open slightly. "Blaine, are you…" he sighed. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yes. I know you want to. Don't not look just because I changed my mind."

Kurt hesitated. "I don't know if I'll be able to keep my mouth shut."

"That's okay. But, try, will you?"

He grinned. "Of course. So… so, you're sure?"

"Yes, Kurt." Blaine laughed. "How many times do I have to say it?"

Dr. Young motioned him over to her and they looked at the screen together. She gooped up the wand again and pressed it to Blaine's stomach the same way she had before. When she found an angle that gave the best picture, she paused, clicked a few buttons, and removed the wand. Blaine kept his eyes fixed on Kurt's face. He saw amazement and when Dr. Young whispered in his ear a moment later, he saw shock and then utter joy cross Kurt's features. His eyes welled with tears again and he moved over to Blaine, grabbing his sweaty hand once more.

"Would you like a picture?"

"Yes, that would be great." Blaine answered, as Kurt seemed incapable of words at the moment.

She smiled at them and following a humming noise, the machine popped out the first picture that they had seen. Kurt accepted it and just stared down at the image in his hands while Blaine was given tissues to wipe the goo off his stomach.

"Alright, so everything looks good. Keep taking your prenatal vitamins and be sure you get plenty of water and fruits and vegetables. I'll write you a prescription for something to help with the morning sickness too. And sleep, Blaine. That's really important right now."

He nodded. "Is there anything else we need to do?"

"Routine appointments would be a good thing to set up. I know it's expensive to fly and it would be ideal if you could keep your appointments here, but I know that's not an option for everyone. Keep seeing your regular doctor and obstetrician. I have all of their numbers so we will be in contact. Remember, you can always email or call me if you have any other questions."

"Thank you so much." Blaine looked up at Kurt, who took his hand and pressed the picture into his palm. Blaine returned his smile and got up, so excited and nervous and happy, but most definitely ready for a nap.

********

Blaine awoke a few hours later and in the middle of drying his hands after using the bathroom, stopped when something caught his eye. He turned, saw that Kurt was busy reading, and looked again. On the corner of the counter, sat the ultrasound picture. Blaine picked it up and held it by the corner, a grin stretching from ear to ear as he read what Kurt had written in his neat, slanted penmanship in thick black sharpie on the top of the white outline.

*Our Little Jellybean*


	8. Chapter 8

"Kurt." Blaine's voice came from the other side of the room. Kurt turned his head as he shoved one leg into his pants.

"Yeah?"

"I can't do this." He sounded exasperated and annoyed.

Kurt quickly did up his pants and moved next to him, where he was standing by the mirror. "What's wrong?"

The white-button down shirt that they had bought less than two weeks ago was now too small for Blaine. "We bought this two sizes too big and now…" He tried and failed to get the buttons through the holes.

"Well, that's okay. We can-"

He was cut off by Blaine's angry huff. "No, we can't. You can go to school and be fine. But I can't. Even if I got a shirt that would fit an elephant, people would still know! Do you know how many people stare at me? It's like they can tell. Like they're mocking me with their eyes. I'm the only pregnant guy in Ohio, Kurt. That's bound to attract attention!"

Kurt took a small step back. "We've been doing all we can," he said in a small voice.

Blaine groaned, more out of frustration than anger now. "I know," he whispered and sat down on the bench by Kurt's vanity mirror. "I'm sorry." He looked up and there were bitter tears of anger in his eyes. Kurt sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"What do you need me to do? Anything, Blaine. Name it, and I'll do it."

He was silent for a while and then met his eyes. "Can we go get ice cream?"

Kurt smiled and kissed his cheek. "Of course. It's Friday and I think you deserve a day off."

*********

Half an hour later, they were dressed and ready to go after telling Carole that they were taking the day off. Finn had protested that he deserved a day off too, but to no avail and was sent, with a stern look from Burt, off to school. "We'll be back around five," Carole told them and they both headed out to work.

Kurt frowned at Blaine when he appeared from his room. "What are you wearing?"

The curly head ducked down and then back up as he surveyed his outfit. "What's wrong with it?"

"Are you kidding me?" Kurt asked lightly and ran his hands down his boyfriend's arms covered by the soft black sweater. "Blaine, it's in the high eighties today. You're going to get heat stroke."

"It's a thin sweater," Blaine protested and pulled his arms out of Kurt's grasp to cross in front of his chest.

"How many layers are you wearing?"

"Two. I have a t-shirt under this."

"Well, why don't you just wear the t-shirt?"

"Because this stretches and it's harder to tell that, gee, umm I don't know… there's a baby under here!" Blaine flourished his arms out wide.

"Well, fine. But don't come crying to me if you cook our baby."

A smile appeared on Blaine's face. "Don't talk about our little chicken like that."

Kurt just laughed. "Alright, you." He paused, "And little you. Let's go." Kurt grabbed his car keys, but Blaine stopped him.

"I want to walk."

"Excuse me? Are you trying to kill yourself? No, we're driving."

"But Kurt," Blaine began to whine, "it's only a ten minute walk. If that."

"Blaine…"

"Before I got pregnant, if I asked to walk to the ice cream store, would you say no? We've walked there a hundred times. I'm not going to break. Please?"

Kurt stood there, debating with the keys in his hand. "Blaine, I just-"

"Please?" And those goddamn puppy eyes were in Kurt's face and he groaned.

"Fine. Fine. But no more freebies. After this, we're driving."

A triumphant grin appeared on Blaine's face and he even fist-pumped the air, earning an eye-roll from Kurt. Snatching the car keys out of Kurt's hand, he tossed them on the counter. "Well?"

Kurt followed after him, locking the front door and was happy to see that there were a great deal of clouds out to offer them shade from the sun. He grabbed Blaine's hand and they set out.

*********

"Over the river and through the woods, to the ice cream shop we go!" Blaine sang and Kurt had to stop himself from groaning.

"You are such a dork."

"And you're too uptight." Blaine countered. "Have some fun."

"Seriously, what is this baby doing to you? I think being pregnant knocked you back down to a fourth-grade maturity level."

Blaine stuck out his tongue.

"Oh, so we've sunk down to this, have we?"

He smiled, singing softly. "Over the river and through the woods…" He paused and waited, looking at Kurt with twinkling eyes.

Kurt sighed. "To the ice cream shop we go," he finished in his clear voice, though he was smiling by the end of the sentence.

A light wind was blowing and it was actually a very nice day out. Kurt was glad that they had decided to walk. It felt good being outside and when the weather cooperated, it was nice. Maybe the weather channel had lied after all. It didn't feel over seventy degrees. They stopped in front of the colorful building that stuck out amongst the rest. The sign was in the shape of a large ice cream cone that read 'Sweet Shop.' Kurt opened the door and let Blaine through. There were a few people in the shop, but it definitely wasn't crowded, which Kurt was thankful for.

"What would you like?" The teenager asked them over the counter. Her wavy brown hair was tied up in a ponytail and she smiled.

"One scoop of vanilla, please. And… Blaine? What do you want?"

Kurt turned his head to find Blaine's face practically pressed up to the glass as he surveyed all of the options. "Strawberry. Wait, no. Mocha almond fudge. Oh, wait. There's bubblegum. They have bubblegum?"

Kurt laughed as he accepted his cone. "You can have whatever you want."

Blaine's head popped up at once. "Bubblegum."

Kurt raised his eyebrows and took a small lick of his ice cream. "You sure? You've never liked that flavor."

"Yes. It just looks so pretty."

"Alright." He turned back to the teen. "One scoop of bubblegum, then."

The bright-blue ice cream was studded with pink chunks of gum and Kurt found himself wrinkling his nose at the thought and passed the cone on to Blaine's eager hands. He paid and got them a table in the corner.

"Thanks, Kurt." Blaine said as he licked a drip that was rolling down the side of his cone.

"Don't worry about it." Kurt replied and smiled, watching Blaine attack his ice cream. His tongue was going to be blue for days.

Blue. Studded with pink.

Pink and blue.

Blue. Pink.

Kurt wanted to tell Blaine so badly the sex of their baby. He really didn't know how long he was going to be able to keep this secret. There were times when he found that one word on the tip of his tongue and he had to bite it back. Blaine really did want to be surprised, Kurt knew that, so he tried his hardest to focus on other things.

"We can go shopping this weekend and get you some new clothes."

Blaine made a face and lowered his voice before saying, "There's no maternity section for men in Target. Or anywhere in this town. Or freaking state."

"We'll figure something out. I can sew, you know, and Carole is actually pretty good with a sewing machine."

"Maybe I'll just go naked."

Kurt laughed, almost spitting out his ice cream. Blaine chuckled too but then a serious expression appeared on his face.

"We're not going to be able to hide this much longer." Blaine was sitting up entirely straight, avoiding slouching to minimize the curve of his stomach. "Bigger clothes or not."

"Yeah," Kurt sighed.

"I… I want to tell them. The Warblers. They know something's up but the blazer hid it so well for a long time. But now, even that isn't going to help. I see them staring all the time," he whispered.

"If you want to tell them, Blaine, you should." Kurt said gently.

He nodded, as if convincing himself. "Yeah, okay. I will. Tomorrow."

They sat in silence for a while and even after both of their ice creams were gone, they stayed. Finally, Kurt turned to Blaine. "Ready to go back?"

He stood and when he gave Kurt a small smile, Kurt couldn't help but grin because Blaine's lips were stained a very light blue.

*********

The first thing Kurt noticed when he stepped outside the air-conditioned shop was that it was hot. It was very hot. The weather channel didn't lie after all. Once glance up revealed that the clouds that provided them cool shade earlier were now gone. There was no trace of any clouds in the sky whatsoever. The only thing that broke up the monotonous blue was the sun, shining brightly in the heat of mid-day. Kurt looked at Blaine, who just shrugged and rolled up his sweater sleeves.

They talked lightly on the way back, but when Kurt noticed that Blaine was breathing harder, he stopped talking and squeezed his sweaty palm. Kurt kept glancing at Blaine. The sun was beating down on their backs and Kurt felt like the heat had seeped into his clothes. And he was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

Kurt started to say something when he noticed Blaine looking very pale. "Blaine, it's really hot out here. Let's go back to the ice cream shop and we can-"

"We're halfway there. Going back now wouldn't do anything," he said, through heavy breaths.

"Blaine, come on." He tugged on his hand, but Blaine tugged back.

Hazel eyes met Kurt's. A bead of sweat dripped from Blaine's hair down his cheek. "We're so close, Kurt. Five minutes away."

Kurt sighed. "I wish I'd have thought to bring water. Well, tell me if you need to rest."

And they kept going. It really wasn't far, but Kurt was so worried that the easy walk seemed to be taking forever. Blaine's steps were slowing slightly. He was very glad that he could see their house from here. When they reached the door, Blaine was practically panting and leaned up against the wall, swaying slightly. Kurt couldn't unlock the door fast enough. He ran inside to get Blaine some water. Blaine stepped through the doorway, heart hammering in his chest. The sweater he wore seemed so constricting now like it was glued to his skin. He felt light-headed as the cold air blasted around him, so extreme when compared to the heat outside.

It was too much and Blaine felt his surroundings spin around him. He groaned and dropped to his knees, pressing his palms flat against the cold wood floor. Kurt reappeared just as he sunk to the ground and let the water bottle clatter out of his hand as he ran to Blaine.

"Blaine? Blaine? Talk to me. What's wrong? Oh god, Blaine?"

He kept his eyes on the ground and then closed them, swallowing hard. "I… I just need to… lie d-"

Blaine went limp and Kurt's fast reflexes caught him before he did a face-plant into the ground. "Blaine!" he cried and held him tightly. Kurt lowered him gently to lie on his side, snapping his fingers in front of his face and getting no response at all.

"Blaine!"


	9. Chapter 9

Kurt's eyes widened in panic. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

"Blaine? Blaine, please-"

The limp body in his arms began to stir, his eyes opening slowly and moaning.

"Shh… It's okay. It's okay. It's okay," Kurt whispered furiously, his heart thudding so fast against his chest and blinking away the panicked tears.

There were tears in Blaine's eyes too, but they fell down his cheeks as he began to cry and shake in Kurt's arms. Blaine had never passed out before and waking up with your body weak and dizzy and so scared the darkness was going to pull you under again was awful.

Kurt held him tighter and gently lifted him to a sitting position and began to pull off his sweater. Blaine was trembling and paler than Kurt had ever seen him, with his skin clammy and sweaty and hot to the touch.

"Blaine? Are you okay?"

"I don't feel good," Blaine mumbled, turning his eyes to Kurt.

"I know, I know. Okay. Umm… can you stand up? Just to go lay on the couch." He paused. "No, wait. Don't…" Kurt trailed off, completely unsure of what to do and not wanting to make things worse. "I don't know," he whispered feebly.

"Kurt," Blaine whispered back. "Kurt, did I hurt the baby?"

And the utter fear in Blaine's eyes and voice constricted Kurt's throat. "Just… just let me call…"

He trailed off and fished out his cell phone, dialing Carole's number and hoping that she picked up.

"Honey, I'd love to talk right now, but I'm-"

"Carole."

The way Kurt's voice broke made her immediately concerned. "Kurt, Kurt what's wrong? What happened?"

"Blaine," he forced the words from his throat, "he passed out and I… I don't know what to do!"

"Oh, Kurt. It's okay. Calm down alright? I can leave in ten minutes. Is he okay? Is he talking to you?"

"Yes, but I'm scared something…" he trailed off, not wanting to freak Blaine out. But the way Blaine curled up and wrapped his arms around his middle with a sobbing sigh said that he hadn't missed Kurt's meaning. "Please hurry," he whispered and snapped the phone shut. He hugged Blaine closer, pressing his forehead into his curly hair.

"It'll be okay, Blaine. You'll both be okay. I caught you before you could have…" he let his words die, realizing he probably wasn't helping.

"I just want to sleep," Blaine murmured. "I'm so tired."

Kurt bit his lip. "Do you think you could make it to the couch if I helped you?"

At Blaine's nod, Kurt readjusted Blaine's weight in his arms and crouched to help him stand up. Blaine was weak on his feet and kept drifting off towards Kurt as they walked, leaning on him heavily with shaking limbs. Kurt lowered him onto the couch, where Blaine immediately sighed and closed his eyes. He grabbed the forgotten water bottle that had come to a stop against the wall and uncapped it, bringing it over to Blaine. "Drink this. Some of it. It'll help."

"I don't want to. I just want to sleep."

Kurt sat beside him, pulling his upper body onto his lap, wrapping one arm around his shoulders to hold him up. "Blaine, please. You need water."

He slowly opened his eyes and reached up to take the bottle from Kurt's hand. He swallowed two gulps before he pressed it back into Kurt's palms. "I feel sick," he groaned.

"Carole will be here soon," Kurt murmured, glancing towards the door again.

"Kurt, I'm so tired." Blaine whispered, closing his eyes again. Kurt didn't know what else to do. So he set aside the water and pulled him closer to his chest, running his hand through Blaine's hair. Every once in a while, he'd press a kiss to Blaine's temple. It wasn't long before Blaine went slack in Kurt's arms and he was breathing evenly.

When Carole opened the door and rushed inside, Kurt's eyes were filled with relief, no longer the panicked worry that had consumed his every thought. Kurt looked down at the very sleeping, very obviously pregnant -now that he was only wearing his jeans and a t-shirt- boy in his arms.

"Honey, what happened?" Carole whispered as she knelt beside the couch and took in Blaine's still slightly pale form.

"We went to get ice cream and he wanted to walk but he was wearing a sweater because he didn't want anyone to see…" Kurt's eyes drifted to Blaine's swollen abdomen and then back up to Carole. "It was really hot out and I think he got dehydrated or something and when we got back, he just collapsed. I got to him before he could fall, but…" His voice dropped to an even lower whisper. "He's worried he hurt the baby and I don't know, I mean, he didn't land on his stomach or anything and he just blacked out for a few seconds, but I just didn't know what to tell him. Do you think he's going to be okay?"

Carole's eyes softened. "I think they'll both be just fine. Sometimes your body has to do what it has to do to protect itself. We'll see how he feels when he wakes up. I'll make something with lots of vegetables and protein for dinner tonight. I really don't think you have to worry though." She smiled gently. "Thank you for calling me."

"I didn't know who else to call," he said truthfully, but he was so glad that Carole was here.

"I'll be right here if you need me. He's going to be fine, Kurt. They both are." She gave him a light nod and kissed his forehead.

The sound of Blaine's steady breathing and the feel of his warm body against him, relaxed Kurt as Carole went to get started on dinner. He brushed his hand along Blaine's hair and down his jaw line with gentle fingers. Blaine inhaled and turned towards Kurt, pulling his knees up and snuggling closer. Kurt very slowly pressed his hand to the side of Blaine's stomach. Blaine's eyes fluttered open and he glanced up with a tired gaze at Kurt, but he noted that there was more color in his cheeks than there had been before.

"Hey," he whispered and moved his hand up to meet with Blaine's. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Blaine said and Kurt heard the strength returning to his words. "You make a very nice pillow."

A smile spread across Kurt's face and then disappeared. "I was so scared," he whispered. "I didn't know what happened to you." He shook his head slightly as if to dispel the memory that flashed through his mind—Blaine crumpling onto the ground, his eyes rolling back into his head, his sigh has the breath left his body. "But you're okay now. You're both okay. Oh, and Carole's here. She's making dinner."

"Kurt, is Blaine awake?" Her voice sounded from the kitchen and she appeared a second later.

"Yes."

Carole came over and Kurt maneuvered Blaine into a more comfortable position. "Here you go, honey. This should help get your blood sugar back up. You're probably going to be weak for another hour or so, but I think that sleeping seemed to help." She pressed a glass of lemonade into his hands.

"Thanks, Carole." Blaine said and took the glass, drinking slowly.

"So you're feeling better?"

He nodded. "A lot better actually."

"Good," she smiled. "Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. I know it's early, but you both can eat if you want. I'll just wrap up the rest and reheat it later." Carole pressed her palm to Blaine's forehead, then dragged it down to his cheek and the back of his neck. "You still feel a bit warm. A nice cool shower may help."

He nodded, finishing the last of the lemonade. "That sounds really good."

Carole took the glass from him, saying, "Let me know when you guys are ready for dinner. I need to go do some work for tomorrow."

Kurt met her eyes, hoping that he could say how grateful he was that she came. She seemed to understand because she held his gaze for a long beat and then left. He turned to Blaine beside him. "You can use my shower. It's upstairs though…"

"It's okay. I'll be fine."

Kurt resisted the urge to snort. "I'm never believing you when you say that ever again. Come on." He slipped an arm around Blaine's waist and pulled him up, leading him along the stairs and down the hallway. "You know where the towels are." Kurt hesitated a moment, leaving Blaine standing with a hand on the doorknob. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Blaine's eyes softened. "I'm tired, but really, I'm okay."

Kurt nodded, more to himself than anything, but said, "Alright. I'll be right here so if you need anything, just-"

"I know," Blaine said gently and closed the door.

Kurt sighed and dug out a book he started long ago and never finished, sitting cross-legged on his bed and starting to read.

********

Blaine appeared when Kurt was halfway done with the fourth chapter. He stuck a piece of paper between the pages to mark his place and looked up. Blaine held a towel wrapped tightly around his hips, leaving his upper body bare. Kurt had to bite back a sigh. He'd never thought about it because he'd never thought it could happen, but Blaine carrying their child was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.

"What?" Blaine asked self-consciously, looking towards the door and upon seeing it was closed, turned his attention back to Kurt. When he didn't say anything, Blaine rubbed a hand on the back of his neck as he did when he was nervous. "Kurt, you're starting to freak me out."

Kurt blinked, brought out of his trance. "Sorry," he murmured sheepishly and got up, hearing the mattress creak underneath him. "Blaine, you… just…" He walked up to his boyfriend and slid his palm over the curve of Blaine's bare stomach and then along to his lower back. Kurt took a step closer, pressing their bodies together. Blaine's skin was still damp and Kurt could feel his warm heat radiating through his clothes. Curly hair spilled over Blaine's forehead above tender hazel eyes. "You're beautiful, Blaine," he whispered and kissed him.

Blaine responded immediately to his kiss, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist. He inhaled and their warm lips moved together.

"I love you," Kurt whispered against Blaine's lips. He felt Blaine smile and pull away, the smile lighting up his eyes.

"I love you too." Blaine dipped his head quickly and kissed the tip of Kurt's nose.

"You want to go eat?"

"Yeah. Just let me put on some clothes first." Blaine grinned and yanked a sweatshirt out of his closet.

"Oh no you don't." Kurt chastised. "In this house, you are not wearing long-sleeves of any kind." He pushed aside a few hangers and pulled out a t-shirt. At Blaine's apprehensive look, Kurt lowered his voice. "You don't have to hide here, Blaine. No one is going to judge you."

Kurt pressed the shirt into Blaine's hands and left, feeling suddenly upset at the way Blaine couldn't even put on a t-shirt without fear of people seeing his body. Kurt was ecstatic that they were expecting a baby and he felt a tight coil of hurt in his stomach that Blaine would not—could not—go out with the same mindset that Kurt had. Kurt was so proud of Blaine and he just wished that Blaine could feel the same way that Kurt did when they walked down the halls at school. Kurt was so in love with Blaine that he wanted to tell everyone they knew that Blaine was having their baby. He knew that Blaine loved him, and that he loved their baby just as much as he did, but it was different for him. Blaine was going to have to face the stares, the whispers, the names, the judgments. No one would be looking at Kurt. All eyes would be on Blaine. And as much as Kurt wanted to be able to tell the world that he and Blaine were so in love, the consequences would weigh so much more on Blaine than on him. Exasperated anger boiled up inside Kurt. Sometimes he felt like Ohio was in its own little bubble, unable to or just unwilling, to accept anything that wasn't 'normal.' Being gay in Ohio was bad enough. But they'd faced that wall together. This was a new matter entirely. Once this secret came out, things would never be the same.

*********

"Hey, dad." Kurt acknowledged his father, who came in as they were eating.

Carole kissed him on the cheek. "I made dinner early. Would you like some now or in a little while?"

"In a bit would be great." He placed his keys on the counter and looked towards the boys sitting at the table. "Where's Finn?"

"Football practice ran late. He should be here soon."

"Oh, okay. Kurt?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you for a bit?"

Kurt set down his fork and looked at Blaine (who had worn the t-shirt, much to Kurt's relief), then back to his dad. "Oh, umm sure." He left Blaine, throwing a glance behind him that said I have no idea what this is about, and followed his father into the living room.

Burt sat and waited for his son to do the same. Kurt placed his hands on his knees. They were quiet and Kurt felt as though Burt were analyzing him.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Kurt had a feeling he knew exactly what topic Burt wanted to discuss, but he hoped that he was wrong.

As usual, he was wrong.

"Blaine." Burt said and Kurt found himself wincing.

"W-what about him?" He tried to keep his tone even.

"I love you Kurt, you know that. And I've accepted Blaine, as hard as it is for me to accept that you're growing up and have found someone that you really care about. I know that you didn't mean for it to happen and that if you'd have known, you'd have taken precautions but I want you to truly think about this. You may say now that you'll be able to care for a baby, but you have to understand that a baby changes everything. You have to put aside what you want and care for that child. You're going to lose sleep, lose patience with each other, and it may even seem at times like you're losing a bit of your sanity. For the next eighteen years, that child will depend on you. Even if, sometimes, they feel like they don't need you anymore. I just really want you to think long and hard about this decision. How many times have you told me you wanted to go to college in New York? Or audition for Broadway? Or travel to Paris? All of those things are going to have to be put aside. I'm not saying they're impossible but they're going to be harder. The needs of that child will come first. And a baby is expensive. Carole and I will help with as much as we can, but eventually both of you are going to have to take responsibility. Kurt, I know that this is new and exciting, believe me, I've been there, but I want you to consider if keeping that baby really is the best choice for you right now. And for Blaine. Do his parents even know? And you know that Blaine is welcome in our house for as long as he wants to be here, but Kurt, just understand that you aren't going to be able to keep this a secret much longer."

Kurt sat there in silence as his father's words sunk in and rang in his ears. When he finally found his voice, the first thing he said was, "He can't tell his parents, dad. They resent him being gay as much as you hate broccoli. If they found out he was pregnant, it… Dad, I don't know what they'd do but, it's not worth it."

Burt shifted, leaning towards Kurt. "He doesn't have to tell them alone. We can all go with him. I know Carole has told you before, but telling Blaine's parents is something you're going to have to do at some point. And I think it would be better sooner rather than later."

He sighed, feeling the immanence of that conversation rising quickly. "I know."

"Think about what I've said, Kurt. I'm not telling you how to live your life, but I want you to consider both sides of this, the good and the bad. Whatever you both decide, I want to make sure that you do what's best for everyone."

Signaling the end of the conversation, Burt got up and clapped a hand on his son's back. "But I want you to know, either way, that I love you, both of you, and I couldn't be more proud to have you as my son."

Kurt sat still after his father left but neither one of them noticed Blaine as he stood by the doorway, hidden in shadows, with tears running down his cheeks.


	10. Chapter 10

Kurt stood and made his way into the kitchen. He was feeling ridiculously tired as a result of the mentally draining father-son talk.

"Where's Blaine?" he asked Carole as he entered and saw that Finn had taken Blaine's place at the table, a fresh plate of food in front of him.

"'Sup?" Finn greeted him through a mouthful of pasta. Kurt smiled at him, but there was no warmth in his smile.

"Carole?"

"Oh, he said he was feeling tired so I told him to go lie down. It's been a rough day honey, but I'm sure he's fine." She said from the sink, where she was washing dishes.

Kurt nodded, his head swimming with so many thoughts. "Yeah, okay. I'm going to go stay with him in case he feels sick. So goodnight, I guess."

"Goodnight, Kurt."

"'Night bro."

Kurt sighed and turned towards the stairs. His head felt too full to hold all of the thoughts, scenarios, and emotions that seemed to have just been dumped on top of him. He'd been so excited about this baby and now…

Now it seemed real.

He'd never stopped to really consider everything. What it was going to cost to raise this baby, financially and otherwise. They were still in high school. True, they would be graduating before the baby was born, but they were still just teenagers. Kurt had always thought of himself as being level-headed, the one who thought things through. He sure as hell didn't feel that way now. Now, he had no idea what to do. He did want to have this baby with Blaine. He loved their baby already. But…

What if we're not ready for this?

That was the main thought that pushed against all others.

Before he had time to think through another scenario, he stopped in his doorway, his eyes glued on Blaine.

He was sitting on Kurt's bed, arms draped loosely around his stomach, head hanging down. Kurt didn't need to go any closer to realize that he was crying.

"Blaine?" he whispered.

The curly head flicked up and he dragged a hand across his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Kurt took ginger steps into the room.

"I'm fine." The answer was tense and clipped.

Kurt paused. "I'm not dumb, Blaine," he said softly. "I know you and when you say that you're fine, you're not. Especially not now."

Blaine was silent. He turned his head away. Kurt moved over to him and sat carefully on the bed. He reached out a hand, hovering just over Blaine's knee, but then he hesitated and pulled his arm back.

"Tell me what's wrong? Maybe… maybe I can try to fix it."

Blaine let out a soft sigh. "You can't fix it, Kurt," he whispered.

"At least tell me what's wrong?"

He swallowed and tears fell from Blaine's eyelashes onto his cheeks. He turned his tear-stained face towards Kurt. His voice was so soft and hurt and broken. "Do you want this baby, Kurt?"

It felt like ice water had just been poured down Kurt's back. "W-what?" he stammered.

"If I hadn't told you I wanted to keep it, would you have wanted it?"

"Blaine, what… where is this coming from?" Kurt wanted so badly to wrap his arms around Blaine but he knew that it wasn't a good idea.

"I heard you talking with your dad," Blaine admitted and realization washed over Kurt.

"Oh Blaine, no, I… I just-" Kurt tried to grab Blaine's hand, but he pulled away.

"But you just realized that he was right?" He asked, making Kurt's heart stutter. "He is right. Having this baby, it… it's asking you to give up so much. You never told me you wanted to go to Paris."

"It doesn't matter-"

"Yes it does. You have dreams, Kurt. You have a life you planned on living, with or without me doesn't matter." Blaine's voice broke. "You deserve so much more than what this means."

"You have dreams too, Blaine. Remember New York? We applied to the University of New York together. It… it sounds like you're saying you don't matter. And that's not true." He grasped Blaine's hands, tightening his grip so he couldn't pull away. "You have dreams too, Blaine," Kurt repeated, staring into Blaine's eyes and not letting him look away. "Do you hear me? You're not allowed to give up on your dreams. And I'm not either. You heard what my dad said. We're just going to have to put them on hold for a little while."

Hurt and anger flashed across Blaine's face. He ripped his hands out of Kurt's. "Don't you get it?" he cried out. "We're stuck! I'm stuck! I'm stuck in Ohio now and I don't know the first thing about raising a baby! I don't have money to move out of this goddamn town or even rent an apartment, I don't have parents who support me like yours do, and I can't get a job to provide what this baby needs because I can't risk the media finding out that there's a man in Ohio who's pregnant! You're acting like this is all going to be fine and easy but you don't understand. You don't get how hard this is going to be-"

"You think I don't know that?" Kurt interrupted, voice low as he tried to calm his boiling emotions.

"All I see is joy on your face whenever you touch my stomach or someone mentions anything to do with a baby. You don't think about the hard parts of raising a child!"

"I'm that baby's father."

"I am too! But Jesus, Kurt, when are you going to realize that-"

"That what?" Kurt's voice rose. "That I'm going to have to change my future plans? That things wouldn't work out the way I thought they would? Yes, Blaine, I do realize that. I love you and I'm willing to give up-"

"You shouldn't have to!" Blaine yelled, making Kurt's skin crawl. "You shouldn't have to give up anything for me or for anyone!"

Kurt took a deep breath. He was sure that the rest of the family could hear them downstairs. "Blaine, you're tired and you're not thinking clearly," he stated calmly, hoping that he could get Blaine to do the same. "Let's just go to bed and we can talk about this later."

"I can't do this, Kurt." Blaine said, voice harsh. "I can't even get up the courage to tell my parents I'm pregnant. How can I raise a baby when I can't even do that?"

"I'll go with you. It's not-"

"No. Kurt, I can't do this. Everything your dad said was right. He's right. I'm not ready to have a baby. Neither are-" Blaine suddenly stopped and a worried, curious look appeared on his face. Kurt's eyes dropped to where Blaine had rested his hand on his stomach. He felt his heart stop and all anger dissipated.

"Blaine?" He rushed up to him, hands waving about uselessly. "Blaine? What's wrong?"

His mouth opened but no sound came out. Kurt looked down and pressed his hand near Blaine's. And he felt it too.

A flutter.

A kick.

"Blaine?" he asked again, gently this time in a voice full of wonder. He watched realization cross over Blaine's face. Then he blinked and dropped his hand as if he had just been shocked.

"I can't do this, Kurt," he whispered. He backed away and Kurt knew better than to go after him, even if his entire being was screaming at him to move. Then Blaine met his eyes and his voice was stronger, definite. "I can't keep this baby. I can't."

And he was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

Blaine hadn't really spoken much to Kurt in the week that followed their argument. Kurt didn't want to force Blaine into talking if he didn't want to, and if the roles were reversed, he knew that he would want time to gather his thoughts so he was giving Blaine that opportunity and space. It was a huge decision after all. It was life-changing. They were going to have to talk about it soon but Kurt could just see the guilt and pain in Blaine's eyes that he tried to hide with half-convincing smiles and Kurt's heart broke. He didn't even want to think of the emotional pain Blaine was carrying in his mind. The mere thought just made him want to cry. Kurt never asked Blaine if he was okay because he knew the answer. More than anything, they just sat together and held one another in silence as they became prisoners of their own thoughts.

Blaine hadn't gone back to school that week. Kurt spread the story that he was really sick, but he could tell that most of the Warblers only accepted the lie and did not believe it. He caught Wes glancing at him frequently, trying to catch his eye so he could show that he wanted to talk. Kurt avoided him and anyone else he could. He made sure to make it to rehearsal right as they started, leaving the second they were dismissed and pretended to be deep in thought in his homework if any one of them looked like they might approach him outside of rehearsal. But they were getting harder and harder to detour. He had a feeling that Wes might end up cornering him one day and forcing him to tell the truth. He knew they were just worried but Kurt did not want to tell them anything unless Blaine specifically told him to.

They were lying on Kurt's bed. It was Sunday and the clouds had hung low in the sky all day. It was a lazy kind of day, with the weather getting cooler for some reason. Kurt didn't pay attention to the news much, but Burt had mentioned something about it raining within the next week or so. At least the rain would give Blaine an excuse to stay inside. Kurt felt terrible that he was so worried to be seen. He knew that Blaine had a valid point but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"Hey, Kurt?" Blaine turned towards him and Kurt could tell that he was going to say something that he'd been thinking about a lot. His eyes were wider.

"Yeah?" He kept his voice low and soothing.

Blaine looked down and let out a breath. "I want to tell the Warblers."

"You do?"

He nodded. "I keep getting texts from them and they're getting more difficult to think of excuses. And… and I feel like they deserve to know, you know? I've been best friends with Wes and David for years and because I've kept it a secret for so long, I don't know if they're going to be mad that I didn't tell them." His voice was getting softer. "I don't want them to think I'm a freak."

"They won't." Kurt said gently. "They're your best friends. They want to know. I honestly think Wes is going to kidnap me and until I tell him what's going on. If you want to do this Blaine, you should. And I'll be there with you."

He was quiet for a while. "I do. I want to tell them." His hand slid over on the bed and he linked Kurt's fingers with his own.

"Tomorrow then?"

Blaine nodded, giving Kurt a very small smile. "Tomorrow."

*********

They'd agreed not to go to school on Monday, but that they would both go to rehearsal together. Kurt drove the two hours to Dalton and he could tell that Blaine was nervous. He was quieter than what was usual as of late. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt could see Blaine's face change every once in a while. The corners of his mouth would turn down a bit uncomfortably and his hand would tighten. Kurt knew the baby was kicking. He could tell what Blaine was trying to do but he did not agree with it at all. But now was not the time to bring it up.

Blaine's Dalton uniform no longer fit no matter what they tried to do so he was wearing black sweatpants and a large grey sweatshirt over a t-shirt. Being out of uniform, even after school had ended for the day, would make anyone stick out like a sore thumb so Kurt had donned his 'weekend wear' and had even gone a bit more flashy than he normally would, hoping that he might detract attention a bit from Blaine. Thanking whoever designed the school that there was a parking lot right behind the auditorium, they stepped out into the brisk wind. The back door was open, as it always was during rehearsal. Wes ran their sessions like clockwork so Kurt and Blaine knew that as four o'clock came around, every Warbler would be in place. At exactly three fifty-nine, Kurt pulled open the back door and went in first, so Blaine could hopefully hide a bit behind him.

Sure enough, all eleven Warblers were in formation. Wes had his back turned to them, but as they started spotting Kurt, chatter broke out. Wes turned.

"Kurt? What are you doing here? I thought you were out sick today."

Kurt could feel Blaine shrink behind him so he reached back and held out an open palm that Blaine latched onto immediately. He could practically feel the fear in his pulse.

"I'm not," Kurt answered and noticed that eyes were moving to Blaine so he quickly said, "And I have something to tell all of you."

"Blaine?" A voice asked from the front row. Kurt thought it was Jeff. It was hard to tell under the lights. "We thought you were dead!" he laughed and Kurt felt Blaine's quick breath on his neck that clearly said I would rather be dead than be here right now.

Wes motioned with his hand and the stage lights dimmed. Kurt smiled at them as they broke formation and crowded around him, all asking questions at once. But Wes spoke the loudest of all.

"What did you want to say?" The look in his eyes was burning. Wes knew that Kurt was about to spill what he'd been trying to figure out for weeks now.

Kurt nodded, giving Blaine's hand a squeeze. "Well, actually it's something that concerns both of us," he nodded back towards Blaine. "It's going to be hard to accept but just know that we really need your support, now more than ever."

Wes's eyes immediately filled with concern, mirroring almost every other gaze that stared back at them. "What's going on?" Wes asked quietly, more scared than anything.

Kurt felt Blaine lean his forehead onto his shoulder. "Kurt, I feel sick," he whispered feverishly into his ear.

He knew that this was for the better. They had to know and it was better to do it fast. Not preparing himself or anyone, the words blurted from Kurt's mouth.

"Blaine's pregnant."

Kurt felt the deep exhale that breezed on his neck. He turned his head slightly. "It's okay, Blaine," he whispered. "You're okay."

The silence in the room was deafening.

"What?" David's question echoed around them.

Confusion was evident on most faces. Only a few looked sympathetic.

"Blaine's pregnant," he repeated, making his voice louder. "I think some of you have heard about it. There's a genetic mutation that allows some males to get pregnant. Researchers aren't sure what causes it or why but it's appearing in greater numbers around the world, though it's still a new thing. Blaine is a carrier of that gene. And as far as we know, he's the only one in Ohio to have conceived."

The room was silent for a good five seconds.

"I've heard about that." Someone said and a few others nodded.

"Wait, that's real?" Another asked.

"Are you going to keep it?" This came from Thad and Kurt's heart pounded in his chest. He didn't answer.

"Blaine?" Wes asked, stepping up closer. "How long have you known about this?"

Kurt turned and wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist, supporting him. He was slightly pale, but did not seem in danger of throwing up or passing out. There was a slight gasp as everyone's eyes were drawn to Blaine's stomach. Even covered by the baggy sweatshirt, anyone who looked at him could tell.

"Beginning six months," he whispered.

Wes's eyes grew wide. "The hell?" he mumbled, the met Blaine's eyes as he stood right next to him. "Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you hide it?"

Kurt tightened his arm around Blaine.

"I thought you would think I'm… not normal," Blaine whispered and Kurt could tell the effort he was making to even speak at all.

Confusion flashed on Wes's face. The dark eyes softened. "Why wouldn't we think you're not normal? Even now, you're more normal than half of these guys."

"Hey!" A voice shouted, but there was mock anger in the tone.

"You didn't tell us for six months because you were worried we'd think you were weird? Blaine, we're your friends. No matter what, we're sticking by you. I wish you would have told us," he said gently. "I wouldn't have been so hard on Kurt." He laughed and Kurt was relieved to see some of Wes's laughter break the mask of fear on Blaine's face.

And that was all it took. Those words from Wes that meant that everything was going to be fine between them. And not one Warbler showed any sign of anything but relief and happiness that Blaine was okay and "not dead" as Jeff so kindly put it earlier.

Kurt could see and feel Blaine relax and it relaxed him as well. He breathed easier and felt more comfortable. The Warblers were reacting the same way that Kurt expected anyone's friends would. Unforeseeable circumstance or not, they were treating him the same way that they always had and Blaine was beginning to open up and answer questions himself in a voice that was no longer afraid.

They were disappointed when Blaine told them that he didn't know the sex and had threatened Kurt under penalty of setting fire to his clothes if he so much as breathed anything about pink or blue. Nick hesitantly asked if he could see and it took Kurt a second to understand. Blaine was still, but took a deep breath and slowly ran his hands down his stomach, fingers reaching under the hem of his sweatshirt and carefully lifting it up.

Without the cover of the sweatshirt, even under the t-shirt, the defined bump on Blaine's abdomen was very noticeable now at twenty-one weeks. Then Blaine reached down and pulled up the t-shirt too, leaving his bare skin exposed.

A murmur sighed through the Warblers.

"Lots of kicking lately," Blaine laughed nervously.

And suddenly everyone wanted to feel. Blaine let every one of them come up and press their hands to his stomach, though the baby only kicked once and suddenly every inch of his exposed skin was covered by a hand somewhere.

"Sorry guys." He said after hands were drawn away and they looked a little sad. "Must be tired."

"Are you coming back to school?" David ventured to ask. "We don't sound the same without you."

Blaine smiled a bit sadly. "Kurt is. But I'm not. I can't. The blazer doesn't fit anymore and this isn't even the biggest I'm going to get. And I can't risk anyone knowing."

"Why?"

He sighed. "You guys have been awesome. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you sooner. If I'd just not listened to the evil voice in my head, this would have been a lot less stressful. But not everyone is as… accepting as you guys. You all know how bad bullying can be in this state, in this town. I'm the only pregnant guy in Ohio, on top of being gay. That's bound to stir up the pots of who knows how many newstations. I don't want to be plastered all over the news and I don't want to be the center of attention. Or ridicule. I don't know how people are going to react, but I know it won't all be sunshine and daisies. I can't put my family," he pressed a hand to his stomach, "or Kurt and his family in that situation. In two months, we're going to California to a research clinic down there. They're waiving all of my hospital bills and are promising to keep this a secret. After the baby is born, I'll decide if I want people knowing it's mine and Kurt's. But until then, no one else can know."

David gave a slight nod. "I understand, man. Is there anything we can do?"

Eager faces turned to Blaine, nodding.

"I… I…" He paused. "Kurt?"

"I think," Kurt said slowly, addressing them all, "the best thing right now is to just pretend that nothing happened and keep it a secret. I can update you on whatever I know or if anything changes."

Wes put his hand on Kurt's shoulder and looked at both of them as he spoke. "You guys need anything, let us know and we'll do whatever we can. We're still friends, still the same, annoying family." He grinned. "Once you're a Warbler, you're kind of stuck with us."

Laughter erupted from all around them and as if in some unanimous decision, everyone closed in for one giant hug. Blaine turned his head and kissed Kurt on the cheek and the relief in his eyes was enough for Kurt to know that they'd done the right thing, as if he'd known it all along.


	12. Chapter 12

Things seemed to be going better since Blaine told the Warblers. He trusted them not to say anything. And they knew enough not to. The baby seemed to be kicking more now; Blaine noticed she kicked more often when he was doing something with music. When he played his guitar, when he sang, when he snuck into Finn's room when he was at school and played on the spare drum set, there would inevitably be a bought of kicking. It had stopped surprising him and now it was just something else to get used to. In the last week, he'd been feeling something called Braxton-Hicks contractions. It had scared the shit out of him when he'd first felt the slightly uncomfortable cramping (and he was thankful that Kurt wasn't around) but a quick Google search had eased his fears. Now they were just more annoying than anything and made it hard to get to sleep sometimes.

Blaine could feel Kurt's gaze on him more often. But they weren't the adorable 'I love you' glances that they'd shared many times before. These gazes held the vibe of 'you're hiding something and I'm going to figure it out.' Blaine was fast in changing the subject or looking away and pretending to be busy whenever Kurt flashed one of those looks towards him. He didn't want to talk about it. In truth, Kurt had been a lot less persistent that he would have thought he'd be, but he figured Kurt was just giving him time to gather his thoughts. He knew that Kurt wouldn't hold out forever. And Blaine was terrified for when that day arrived.

Luckily for Blaine, it came on a Saturday. Unluckily for Blaine, it came on a Saturday. The forecasted rainy weather they'd been hearing about for weeks had yet to make its appearance but the windy, gloomy, in-the-middle type weather was apparently sticking around. On this particular Saturday, Finn and the rest of the family were going out to watch the McKinley High baseball game that hadn't been canceled which was both a good thing and a bad thing. Blaine wanted to be alone with Kurt because they hadn't been able to just be together in a long time plus his hormones were driving him crazy and Blaine wanted Kurt so badly. But he knew that Kurt would take advantage of their time alone by trying to get him to open up about what he'd been trying not to think about.

Apparently it was an unlucky day for Blaine.

"Blaine?"

He looked up towards Kurt from tuning his guitar. "Hmm?"

Kurt pulled his knees up and hugged them to his chest. They had had the house to themselves for an hour. Well, it was nice while it had lasted. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Blaine turned his gaze back to the strings on the guitar in his lap. "About?" He tried to sound nonchalant, like his brain wasn't shooting off warning alarms to end the conversation.

"Well," Kurt got up and moved closer, sitting next to him, "about the baby?"

"What about the baby?" Maybe if he kept deflecting the questions, Kurt would stop. But he knew Kurt better than that.

"Blaine," he said softly and reached out a hand, placing it over Blaine's and making him stop mid-strum. Blaine forced his eyes to stay downcast. "I know what you're trying to do."

"Oh, do you?" The sarcasm in his voice was almost painful. But it only solidified how much Blaine was trying to avoid this conversation without outright saying it. "Pray tell, Kurt, I'd love to hear."

There was a pause and Blaine hoped that Kurt had gotten the idea and given up. But Kurt's hand tightened over his. "You're trying to distance yourself. From the baby. And I know we haven't talked about it but… we need to. It's hurting everyone by avoiding this. It's not going to get better, Blaine. We can't ignore it. We can't ignore her."

His head turned so slightly. "Her?"

Kurt's tone softened. "I'm assuming the gender that you default to. It feels weird saying 'it.'"

"What makes you think I'm distancing myself?" He couldn't help but get defensive. Even though every word that Kurt said was true.

The hand on top of Blaine's was drawn away. "For weeks you've haven't talked about the baby. Not one word. You started scheduling your OB appointments when I'm in school so I can't go with you. I put the ultrasound picture on the mirror and it disappeared one day and then I found it in the trash. You get this look on your face whenever the baby kicks. You haven't once looked in the mirror. You avoid even touching your stomach unless you have to and you won't even let me or anyone else touch it."

Kurt was more observant that Blaine had given him credit for. And once again, every word was true.

"What's going on, Blaine? I want to help you, but I can't do that if you don't tell me why."

Blaine could hear the pain in Kurt's words. He hadn't realized that tears had been forming in his eyes until he turned his head to look at him and a tear rolled down his cheek. He'd been hiding this for a while. He'd been gradually shutting down and keeping everyone out. He thought that he would be safe with his thoughts locked inside his mind. But he was wrong.

"She deserves better," he finally whispered, almost inaudible.

"What?" Kurt breathed, not at all what he was expecting to hear.

"She deserves better than this. Better than what I can give. I want her to be happy and never feel like she's anything less than perfect. She needs to be loved and able to find who she's meant to be without any kind of… of walls. Do you know what her life is going to be like? It's bad enough now trying to hide it and it's going to be worse when she's born. We can say she's adopted, but what about later, when she starts questioning who her real mother and father are? We can't keep up those lies forever. And she'll never trust us again. I wouldn't blame her. I don't… I don't want her entire life to be a lie and I want her to grow up with everything that she could possibly need. I can't give that to her. But someone could. We can find a home for her with a family who can give her everything. More than anything, I want her to be loved." His entire explanation had been whispered and on the last word, his voice shook.

Kurt sat with his mouth slightly open. He couldn't believe what Blaine was saying. "Do you think we couldn't give her all of that?"

"How can we Kurt? We're teenagers! We're just going to be out of high school when she's born, with only high school diplomas. What kind of job can we get with only high school diplomas? We can't go to college because we can't leave her. Kurt, she doesn't deserve this. She needs a family who can take care of her in the way that she needs and I'm not letting myself feel anything that connects me to her because…" He broke off in a sob and then choked back his tears. "Because every second, I'm falling more in love with her and if I don't stop it now, then I won't be able to."

He was able to get out those words before he turned away from Kurt and was unable to stop the tears from coming. Kurt was frozen for a moment and then his arms wrapped around Blaine, pulling him into the comfort of his embrace. Blaine fought it but gave in and held onto Kurt like he was the last thing on this earth that kept him tethered to the ground. Kurt just held him tightly with silent tears on his own cheeks until Blaine's sobs quieted.

"Blaine, we can make it work. Whatever we need to do, we'll find a way. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but… I want you to think about what it will mean giving her up. I love her and I want to keep her, you knew that without me telling you. But please, please don't make this decision based solely on what you think we can't provide. I don't know what's making you feel this way, but Blaine, don't you ever think that you are unworthy or whatever it is that you think you are because you're everything to me. And to her, if that's what you choose. You are going to be an amazing father and I know that it's scary right now and it's easy to get wrapped up in the fear. But don't get lost in it." Kurt tightened his arms around him, not knowing what else to say. He wanted this baby so badly and he knew that Blaine did too, but the immobilizing anxiety could be too much to handle.

So Kurt held him. And he sang, so gently, so softly. He didn't know why he sang. For Blaine? For himself? For their baby? He didn't know why he'd chosen this song to sing. But it had always given him comfort and the words fell from his lips in quiet succession and Blaine relaxed in his arms so he kept singing until it seemed like nothing could puncture the 'bubble' they had created around themselves. The area of peace, of calm, of clarity; no matter how small, it was there.


	13. Chapter 13

At twenty-seven weeks, Blaine was starting to get antsy. Kurt could see it in the way he couldn't sit still for more than ten minutes. He didn't blame him. He knew it was hard to have to stay inside all the time. Last week, Blaine had been on his way to the bathroom when he walked by Finn's open door, not knowing that Rachel was over. And she had seen him. She'd initially promised to keep it a secret once she found out, but when Finn let it slip that the Warblers knew, Rachel had seemed hurt that Finn hadn't at least told her. She'd argued that the rest of the Glee club would be just as supportive and could help him. What made Blaine agree with letting Rachel and Finn tell them was when she'd mentioned Mercedes. Wes was Blaine's best friend. Mercedes was Kurt's. And he'd felt so relieved when he'd told Wes that he didn't think it was fair to keep it from Mercedes, or the rest of the Glee club for that matter. He was worried though. Still one month before they left for California and words spread faster than fire. He knew how easily this could be accidently spoken about in the hallways, overheard by someone walking by, and then the whole school knew. And then word would spread to the teachers, the principal, someone might even tell the news.

He'd pulled Kurt in the room when he stuck his head in and they'd had a very long talk about the advantages and drawbacks. But Blaine remembered the relief he'd felt when someone else had known and he could see in Kurt's eyes that he really wanted to be able to share this with his best friend. And he thought that the consequences of hiding it from Kurt's friends would outweigh the repercussions if the media found out. Blaine decided was willing to deal with a few interviews or pictures. So when Kurt agreed and looked to Blaine for confirmation, he nodded.

"Just don't tell anyone else. Not a word about it at school."

Rachel nodded and got up to hug him. "My dads might be able to offer some guidance if you'd be willing to accept it. It's not the same situation, but it might help." She gave him a smile and once again, Blaine was questioning why he had been so worried about any of his friends finding out. But he declined her offer, letting her know that if he needed any help that talking to another gay couple could possibly answer, she would be the first person he would go to.

So now Blaine had many people over to see him and Kurt throughout the week. And it helped a lot with everything else that was going on. But it made it harder to deal with in some aspects. Blaine had been so sure what he wanted and now… now he didn't know. He expected that Kurt had warned everyone not to dwell too much on topics that dealt with the baby because no one hardly ever brought it up except for the occasional 'how are you doing?' But it was nice to have company all the same. Blaine loved his guitar and singing and he even started not procrastinating on homework (Dalton was under the impression that Blaine had mono for the time being) but he could honestly only take so much of that when Kurt was at school. Once in a while, one of the Warblers would skip a day so they could hang out with him and whether they went to a secluded, quiet part of the park for twenty minutes or took him to drive-in movies where no one had to get out of the car, it was all appreciated. He didn't feel alone.

And that feeling, the one of love that he felt with his friends, was the guiding force that compelled him to do what he did one rainy Thursday night. There were two people in this world that he wanted acceptance from. He knew he would not get it and he didn't know why he wanted to try, but for Blaine, this need was greater than anything.

*******

"Hey dad? Where's Blaine?"

He looked up from washing his hands. "He went for a walk. Said he'd be back soon."

Kurt's brows creased. "And you let him go?" he asked, trying not to let the worry get the best of his imagination. "It's raining."

"He had a jacket. He said he just needed to get out of the house for a bit and it's dark outside so there's no one around to see him. That's what he told me."

Kurt loved his dad, but sometimes his parenting skills were questionable.

"Why don't you call him?"

"I was just about to," Kurt mused and dialed the cell phone he held in his hand. He turned away from his father, who popped a grape into his mouth.

"He's a big boy, kiddo. He's not going to do anything stupid."

"You don't know that, dad," he whispered as he listened to the ring tone sounding over and over. He was prompted to leave a voicemail and kept his voice to a cheery 'hey, call me when you get this' message.

He sighed as he hung up. Burt placed a hand on his shoulder. "He'll be back before dinner. Don't let that imagination of yours run away with you."

********

The city buses were crowded because it was raining, but that meant not a lot of people took notice of him. And he'd made sure to wear a large rain jacket and when he shoved his hands in the front pockets, you couldn't tell what lay underneath. Blaine was glad this bus ride wouldn't take very long though. He was nervous enough as it was and time to think only made him more anxious.

Fifteen minutes and two stops later, Blaine just walked the ten minutes to the large house on the corner of the brightly lit street. He hadn't been here in a year. But everything looked exactly the same with the hedges trimmed just so, the grass mowed so it looked like an untouched sea of green, and the expensive car parked on the street. The car that was meant for him, when he 'outgrew this phase.' It had been parked there ever since Blaine first came out to his parents. The car had been washed every week until it sparkled like it was brand new and it was driven around to keep the engine in good condition. The two story house loomed over him and to a passerby, this house would be enviable and look like the ideal setting of a home. But it had been a long time since Blaine had ever called this place home. He stopped associating himself with the word and what it meant when he first came out. He didn't feel that he had a home until he moved to Dalton. Until he met Kurt.

He took a deep breath, the rain becoming heavier as it dripped on his raincoat. He must have looked like an idiot, staring up at the model of a perfect home. He couldn't go back now. Blaine stepped onto the concrete path leading up to the door, each side flanked by emerald greenery and blooming flowerbeds. He kept his eyes on the large front door set in the middle of an overhang, held up by two carved columns. There were windows on either side of the door. The lights were on but he could see no movement. He checked his phone.

1 Missed Call

1 New Voicemail

Exiting out of the notifications, he looked at the time. Seven o'clock. His parents would be sitting down to dinner, perhaps discussing their predictable days. His mother would gush about the gossip she'd heard at the salon and his father would pretend to care. His father would explain the case he had been assigned and his mother would pretend to understand the complicated lawyer terms. Everything about this house and the people who inhabited it were perfect, so it seemed.

Everything but the son that they pretended they didn't have. The son who wasn't perfect. The son who tainted their image as the 'it' family. The son who was a disgrace.

The son who stood on their doorstep and hoped beyond hope that he would be given a second chance.

********

"You said twenty minutes."

"Well, it's not exact, Kurt. Calm down alright?"

He let out a huffed breath. "What if he got lost? Or fell and sprained his ankle? Or someone saw and they kidnapped him?"

Burt smiled. "There you go again with that overactive imagination. Your stubbornness wasn't the only thing you got from your mother."

"How do you not see that this is horrible? He didn't answer his phone."

"Maybe he didn't want to be bothered and just didn't want to tell you to leave him alone," Burt shrugged. "Sometimes it's hard to tell the ones you love to go away for a little while. Don't get all worked up over nothing. If he's not back in an hour and he hasn't answered any of your calls, then we can get worked up."

Kurt groaned and dialed Blaine's number again.

*******

He knocked three times, the hollow echo pounding in his ears. There was a long pause in which his parents would look at each other and question who could be disrupting their meal. His father would tell his mother to ignore it and go back to talking. Blaine knocked again, louder this time. Another long pause, hoping the person would go away. He pounded on the door. He was not going to be ignored. Not again.

Rushed footsteps clacked against the hardwood floor. His mother would be standing under the arched doorway leading to the dining room, arms crossed over her chest as she mentally yelled at the person on the other side of the front door because now their meal was going to get cold. Blaine closed his eyes and willed his thudding heart to slow. The handle twisted.

Blaine drew himself up taller as the door opened and he was face-to-face with Mark Anderson. Confusion flicked across his father's face and then the mask of calm returned. He turned. "We have a visitor, dear." He stood aside and opened the door wider, an invitation for Blaine to enter. He did so only by forcing his feet forward.

The shock was evident on his mother's face. "Blaine?" she whispered.

He tried to give her a small smile.

"What are you doing here?" Heather Anderson asked as she took a few steps closer. Mark shut the door behind them, cutting off the sound of the rain.

It was warm inside the house, everything neat and in its place. Blaine didn't expect anything different. The interior looked like an advertisement in a magazine. It was warm, but in temperature only.

"It doesn't matter why," Mark said as he went to stand beside his wife. "He's here now." A smile appeared on his face. Blaine knew it wouldn't last.

"Honey, take off your coat." Heather came closer, almost afraid to touch him.

"N-no. I'll keep it on." He said, clutching the coat around him.

"You're getting water all over the floor." Mark observed.

Blaine closed his eyes briefly, needing to get this over with before he was forced to take off his jacket and expose everything. "There's something I need to tell you."

His mother's eyes flashed towards Mark, then to her son. "I just made dinner. Why don't you join us?"

It was a command disguised as a request. Blaine nodded.

He was lead into the dining room, his father's attempts to get him to take his coat off had been forfeited in preference of the news Blaine had to tell. He sat in the middle of a row of five chairs on either side. His parents each occupied one of the two heads of the table. Heather appeared and set a plate in front of him. Prime rib, broccoli, potatoes. He wanted to throw up.

"Eat, Blaine." His father pointed his fork towards where Blaine was staring dumbly at his plate.

"I'm not hungry," he said, voice small. Sitting in this chair brought back so many memories. Memories he wanted to forget. Wanted to, but couldn't.

"Your mother spent a long time on this meal. Eat."

Blaine slowly picked up his fork and picked the smallest piece of broccoli he could find, spearing it and trying to chew without tasting. His father smiled, approving.

"That's better. Now, to what do we owe this pleasure of our son joining us for dinner? I hope you've sorted out these delusions?"

Blaine knew exactly what he was talking about and he knew he would have to choose his words carefully. "I have been seeing someone for a while now."

"Is it serious?" His mother asked.

"Yes."

"Is this someone a nice, respectable girl?" Mark asked as he bit into a piece of meat.

It couldn't be avoided. He had to tell them. Now. And quickly or he wouldn't be able to get another word in. He rubbed his sweaty palms against his jeans that Kurt had sewn an elastic waistband onto last month. He took a deep breath and locked eyes with his father.

"No. His name is Kurt and I love him more than anything in this world. And what I came here to tell you is that I'm pregnant. The baby is Kurt's. Nothing you can say or do will stop me in my decision to have this baby but I came here asking for your support. Your love. I need you, both of you. Now more than ever."

Blaine had never seen his mother so pale. There were veins in his father's neck that stood out, throbbing and pulsating. Blaine swallowed hard. He'd said what he needed to. Now he just had to wait.

"Stand up," came his father's soft command.

He did so immediately. Mark stood too and so very slowly walked over to him. Blaine could feel the eyes of both of his parents burning on him. He stood tall, not showing fear though he was shaking inside.

He felt his father's hands on his shoulders. The hands that carefully slid down his jacket until they'd reached the collar. The hands that pulled apart the material. The hands that slid the jacket off his body, exposing his secret while Blaine stood absolutely still. The raincoat made a swishing sound as it hit the ground. Blaine was left standing there in his jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt, raising his chin as best he could. His mother's gasp echoed in the silence. His father's breathing came faster.

"So it's true." Mark said softly.

Blaine could feel his father's presence as he started to circle around him, looking him up and down. He didn't say a word.

"You come in here after all we've done for you, after everything we've tried to fix, and you just flaunt your disgrace in our faces."

Blaine spoke and raised his voice as loud as he could. "I have the gene. That means one of you do too." He met eyes with his father. "It's a dominant male trait."

Mark's eyes narrowed. He knew what Blaine was saying. "I'm not the one who's a freak."

Blaine turned to his mother, desperation in his eyes. "Mom, please-"

"No. Listen." Blaine's chin was gripped in strong fingers and his face was turned up towards Mark. "All those years of counseling and summer camps had no effect. Apparently our problem is much more deeply rooted than I thought."

He jerked away from his father's grasp. "If you mean therapy and straight camps, then yes. And I don't have a problem. You do." His words were filled with venom. He shouldn't have tried to come here. He was never going to make his father see that he was fine just the way he was. He was never going to be loved by them.

When Blaine moved towards the door, he was forced to turn around by his father's hand on his shoulder. "Do you realize how much trouble you could have caused us if someone saw you? If word gets out that my fag of a son is pregnant, I could lose my job. No one wants-"

"Your perfect family to be ruined?" Blaine finished with contempt lashing his words. "I don't care anymore. Let go of me. I'm leaving and I'm never coming here again."

The hand tightened on his shoulder. "We don't want to do this, you know. Living this lie. Our son could be successful, well-known, the perfect business partner. We can go back to how things were before all of this nonsense after we… take care of things."

Rage boiled up inside him. "I am just fine the way I am! I love Kurt and I'm having this baby and I'm doing it without either of you. I don't need you! You are a terrible father and a horrible person and I-"

Blaine heard the sound before he felt the pain. He lifted his head up, the smack resonating in his ears. A cold hand pressed to his cheek that was now stinging. Tears filled his eyes. He backed up, holding both of his parents in his vision.

"You're supposed to love your child no matter what. I came here asking for your help and…" he trailed off. "This baby is going to be raised and cared for and loved no matter what she chooses in life. That's something I never got here from either of you." Blaine whispered and turned, knowing his father would not follow.

He slammed the door behind him and ran.

*******

"I've called him four times. He never not answers. Dad, can we go look for him?"

Burt's brow was furrowed. He ran a hand over his head and pulled on his baseball cap as he grabbed his keys. "We'll take my car."

It was pouring rain. It was hard to see five feet in front of them. Burt drove slowly, giving Kurt time to scan the streets.

"It's no use, dad. I can't see anything. Maybe he took cover somewhere?" It was a feeble excuse but it was all Kurt could come up with at the moment.

Burt sighed. "I don't know kiddo."

They scanned the streets surrounding their house for twenty minutes. No sign of Blaine. No sign of anyone.

"What are we going to do?" Kurt whispered as Burt pulled into the garage with a sigh.

"He'll show up. Just be patient."

"Easy for you to say," Kurt sighed as he slammed the car door shut and went inside as fast as he could. He went straight to the couch in the living room where he would have the best view of the front door and sat down, pulling the blanket over him and holding his cell phone in his hands as he switched his gaze periodically from the door to the phone and back again. Finn was oblivious to everything, being up in his room playing video games as he procrastinated on his homework. Carole was waiting for them in the kitchen with a questioning look on her face as to why they had gone out. Kurt could hear the hushed whispers coming from the kitchen as Burt explained what was going on. But they didn't have to wait long.

Kurt's hand clenched on his cell phone. Why wasn't he answering? He could hear the pounding of the rain on the roof. It was bad out there. What if something awful had happened? What if Blaine was hurt somewhere, calling out for help with no one around to hear him? The thought made Kurt sick to his stomach. His hand began to shake and he fought back the emotions that threatened to spill over and have him succumb to the terror and fear.

Then he heard a noise. Like footsteps. He sat up straighter, listening and trying to distinguish anything out of the pouring rain. It was too dark to see outside, even with the porch light on and the street lights gleaming in a yellow glare. Then there was the unmistakable sound of knocking.

Kurt practically jumped from the couch as if it had been electrocuted. His cell phone clattered to the floor and it was forgotten in a heartbeat. Kurt knew it was Blaine. He'd been telling him for months that he didn't have to knock when he wanted to come in. And he still did it, whether out of habit or some other reason. It annoyed Kurt slightly that Blaine still knocked as if he had to be invited in, as if he wasn't allowed to come inside on his own. But tonight, Kurt was so thankful that he stubbornly stuck to that habit. Three short raps. Kurt knew it was Blaine.

He twisted the handle and threw open the door but the sight that he found on the other side of the threshold hurt more than he had ever thought he could feel. Kurt was momentarily shocked and could only stand there, frozen, as he took in the person leaning heavily on the railing that outlined the porch. This person wasn't Blaine. It couldn't be Blaine.

Kurt snapped to his senses and immediately pulled Blaine inside the house and shutting the door with one hand. He wrapped his arms around him. It was as if Blaine had never needed the support of those arms around him until now. The moment Kurt had him in a secure hold, Blaine's legs gave out and he sunk to the floor. Kurt followed him down, holding him tighter as they both sat on their knees. Blaine broke down harder than Kurt had ever seen. It was heartbreaking and terrifying. There was no use getting any words out of Blaine in this distraught state and he was sobbing harder than he ever had before. He was soaking wet, shaking from cold and from crying and he was exhausted, slumping into Kurt's arms like he was too tired to hold himself up. Burt had said he left with a jacket and Blaine wore nothing but the jeans he had on earlier and a long-sleeved t-shirt.

Kurt was so engrossed in Blaine's actions that he hadn't noticed Burt or Carole drop down beside them. After a hurried exchange of words, Carole left and Burt's hands were gently but forcefully pulling them apart. He held Blaine's shoulders tightly and asked him if he was hurt. When he received no answer save for a choking sob, Burt cupped the back of Blaine's head in his hand. Kurt's wide eyes moved from one man to the next and all he could hear was the forceful pounding of his heart. Carole came back, draping a blanket around Blaine's shoulders as Burt asked the question again and Blaine's head shook once. Locking eyes with Carole in a conversation that needed no words, they lifted Blaine up together and half-dragged, half-carried the weak boy to the couch. Kurt was right behind them and scared out of his mind. What the hell had happened to him?

Blaine laid on the couch, the blanket tucked around him with red-ringed eyes staring out at nothing. Carole was kneeling beside him, her hand gently stroking his hair as she murmured calming words that were too low for Kurt to understand. With a bottle of water in his hand, Burt knelt down next to his wife and got Blaine to drink some. He was trembling. Kurt was aching to go over to him but he didn't want to crowd him when he was so obviously hurt. Carole turned to Burt and there was a quick exchange of words before he stood and came over to Kurt, putting a hand on his shoulder and leading him away.

Kurt tried to protest, but his father would not let him go so Kurt followed, though every step away from Blaine made his heart thud painfully. When they were alone in the kitchen, Kurt whirled to face his father.

"What the hell is going on?" he hissed, making sure not to raise his voice above a whisper in case Blaine could hear. "He looks like he just… I don't know, ran a mile or something!"

Burt's voice was calm, everything that Kurt's words were not. "He's not talking to us. Carole's trying to figure out what happened but something made that kid go into shock. I don't think he's hurt at all, but he's freezing and upset. I don't know what happened to his jacket. He had it when he left and if he's been out in that rain for this long without it…" Burt sighed heavily. "We'll work this out. He'll be okay."

Kurt was tired of hearing that. He had no idea if it was true and he knew he was a hypocrite because it seemed like that was a variation on the single phrase he told Blaine over and over again. He turned on his heel and ran out of the kitchen and into the living room where he watched as Carole continued to calm him. He wasn't shaking anymore and he just looked exhausted. But it didn't seem as if he noticed Kurt at all.

Carole glanced up at him for just a moment, enough to let him know not to come closer. So he stood there, not moving an inch in either direction for a full ten minutes. He could feel his father watching him but he did not turn. Nothing mattered now except for the broken boy on the couch. Nothing.

She stood and Kurt fought the urge to run to Blaine's side. He was asleep now, trails of tears dried on his cheeks. Carole brushed past them and Kurt heard water running in the kitchen, then she returned and gently pressed a cold washcloth to Blaine's cheek. Kurt craned his neck. What was wrong? What had happened to him? He bit his lip to keep from shouting, from demanding answers. A little while later, Carole stood again and beckoned them to follow her. With a longing glance at Blaine, he fell into step behind his father.

Kurt did not say anything, knowing that every emotion coursing through his veins would be showcased on his face. Burt waited too, a lot more patiently than Kurt did. Carole spoke softly, with her words in a rush, as if she had a lot on her mind and did not want to forget anything.

"I wasn't able to get much out of him. I don't think he needs to go to the hospital though. He's beyond exhausted right now and sleeping is better than forcing him to stay up and talk. And…" she lowered her voice, meant only for Burt, "it's not good."

But Kurt had had enough. "Tell me what's going on right now."

Carole paused, not wanting to tell him but seeing the fire in Kurt's eyes and the desperation hidden there, she said slowly, "He went to his parent's house and told them he was pregnant. His dad slapped him and he ran out, then walked back here. He said he took the bus there, but I don't know why he walked here. Granted, he was upset so he probably just didn't think…"

Kurt didn't hear anything else. He bolted and ran to Blaine, eyes scanning his skin. Then he remembered the washcloth, placed on the table and creating an expanding puddle of water. His eyes locked onto Blaine's cheek. In the light and in knowing what he was looking for, he saw it. Blaine's right cheek was red, the mark of an open-palm slap. But what was worse, on the highest part of Blaine's cheekbone, there was a slight indent with a low amount of swelling around it where Blaine's father's wedding ring had hit hard enough to bruise his skin. With a broken sigh, Kurt dropped beside him and the tears filled his eyes.

He wanted to hold him in his arms and let him know that he wasn't going to let anything hurt him ever again. He wanted to tell him that he was going to protect him, no matter the cost. But Kurt's hands laid limply in his lap as he stared at the sleeping face before him. He lifted his tear-stained face up to see Burt and Carole standing together. And Kurt's earlier fear that had turned into disbelief and sadness, began to boil into anger and rage. He wanted to go there, to Blaine's parent's house, and he wanted to yell at them until he lost his voice. He wanted to curse and scream at them. How could they do this? To their own son? To their own unborn grandchild? Blaine had done nothing wrong. He'd done nothing to deserve this. Kurt wanted to hit Blaine's father for even laying a finger on him and he wanted to do much worse now that he knew that he had slapped Blaine. He clenched his hands and his head drooped down. There was nothing he could do and he knew it. But when he looked back up, he saw the silent rage reflected in his father's eyes and he knew this was not over.


	14. Chapter 14

Kurt did not know what his eyes held. Anger, hurt, desperation. He assumed it was a mixture of them all. And Burt Hummel did not miss any of those emotions written on his son's face. Kurt turned his eyes back down to where Blaine was sleeping and Burt stared at them for a moment longer before letting go of Carole and, in one motion, grabbing his coat.

"Where-" Carole's surprised sentence fragment cut off short as she quickly understood. She grabbed onto his arm. "Burt, don't."

"No, I'm going. They can't get away with this," he gestured brokenly to where Blaine lay. Carole looked like she wanted to stop him, but she knew where he was coming from. She couldn't understand how anyone could do such a thing, to a child, especially when that child was pregnant. Kurt looked up at their rushed voices and understood immediately. He stood up.

"I'm going with you," he said, determination lacing every word and behind that, anger. Kurt was dangerous right now.

Burt placed his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Kurt, I understand why you want to, but it's not going to solve anything if you're there. It'll probably make it worse." At the confused hurt that blazed in Kurt's eyes, Burt lowered his voice. "You need to stay with Blaine right now. He needs you here." He gave a stiff nod and Kurt's eyes slowly drifted to the couch.

Then Kurt's arms were around him and he felt the need in his grip. He was trusting his father to do what needed to be done. "Please, dad," was all Kurt said in a whispered voice. He nodded against his son's hair and squeezed his shoulder, then turned toward the door. With a quick glance at Carole, he shrugged on his coat and made for his car, heading out into the pouring rain.

It was very quiet once Burt left. Kurt stood there, staring at the door for a long moment before turning back to Blaine.

"Stay with him, honey," Carole told him softly. "I'll be right here."

He didn't look up when he nodded, but Carole understood. She heard the gentle pattering of her bare feet against the wood floor as she went into the kitchen. Finn's dinner plate was still on the table. She leaned against the counter with a sigh and in the silence, heard the pattering of larger feet on the floor. There was a pause, some one-sided conversation and then faster thudding of feet on the ground. Carole looked up as Finn appeared in the doorway, his cell phone in his hand and apparent shock on his face.

"I was gone for two seconds," he said, holding up his phone. "When did Blaine get back and why does he look like shit? Kurt looked like he wanted to fucking kill someone."

"Language, Finn." Carole scolded instantly, then almost wanted to laugh because in the seriousness of this situation, the first thing she did was correct her son. She took a breath and tried again. "Finn, Blaine's hurt."

"Who?" Finn growled and then his tone softened into worry. "Is the baby…?"

"No, they're fine from what we can tell right now. If anything changes, we'll take him to the hospital but it looks like shock for the most part."

Finn swallowed. "Who did it?"

"Honey, that's not-"

"Mom. Don't treat me like I'm five. Who the hell hurt him?"

She didn't bother to correct his language this time. "His father slapped him."

Finn's eyes widened. "What?" He looked around like he didn't know what to do or feel, but when his eyes landed on his car keys, he grabbed them.

"Finn." Her voice made him freeze. When he turned to face her, there was fury in his eyes, much like the same fire that had filled Burt's.

"You're going to let them get away with this?" Finn asked quietly, gripping his keys harder in his hand.

She rubbed her hands up and down his arms. "Burt's taking care of it." Her hands moved down to his and she carefully pulled his fingers apart, releasing the keys. He sighed in frustration and relaxed.

"So we're not doing anything?"

"We're going to wait for Burt to get back and stay calm. Kurt and Blaine both need that."

His jaw tensed, but he nodded. His plate of food was still half-full and after staring at it for a few moments, scraped the remains into another bowl to stick in the fridge, before rinsing off his plate. He watched his mother sink into a chair and run her hands through her hair. Taking a breath, he went out into the living room, where Kurt was kneeling beside Blaine, one hand gently pushing his wet hair away from his face.

Finn sighed. He had had to get used to Kurt having a boyfriend, which had been surprisingly not as hard as he would have expected. He liked Blaine. He knew that Kurt had been lonely and Blaine was probably the best thing that could have happened to him. And he knew that Blaine had not done anything that warranted getting hit. That was his stepbrother's boyfriend on the couch and Finn damn well wasn't going to just sit by and watch. But he turned back and saw his mother's silhouette. She looked so tired. He didn't want to make her worry about him too, which she was bound to do if he left.

He took long steps into the room and knelt down beside Kurt. He just looked so sad. Finn lightly touched his shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?" he whispered.

Kurt barely shook his head, eyes never leaving Blaine. "He's sleeping. For now."

"Well is there anything I can do for you?"

Kurt looked up curiously at his stepbrother. This was really the first time Finn had outright asked him anything like this. He was momentarily shocked, but was touched in the gesture. He could count on Finn. He could see that now. "Umm… I… I don't really…"

"It's okay dude. Just let me know alright?"

He stood to leave and got halfway to the kitchen to check on his mom when Kurt called him back.

"Finn?"

He was there in an instant. Kurt was leaning close to Blaine and whispering in his ear. Finn could see movement under the blanket. Blaine had woken up.

"Can you help me? I want to get him upstairs."

Finn nodded and Kurt pulled off the blanket to help Blaine sit up. With his wet t-shirt sticking to his flushed skin, his eyes were drawn directly to Blaine's stomach. He looked so fragile and so small despite his growing middle. Finn joined Kurt in pulling one of Blaine's arms around his shoulders and they both stood, arms wrapped around his waist. Blaine was weak on his feet, but wasn't hard to get up the stairs, though he stumbled every now and then. They set him down on the bed and Kurt immediately began gently removing Blaine's shirt, asking Finn to get him a towel. He found the fluffiest one he could (probably Kurt's) and handed it to him and instead of standing there like the idiot he felt like, he bolted into his room and grabbed a dry t-shirt and a just-washed pair of his basketball shorts.

Kurt turned grateful eyes on him when Finn returned and held out the clothes. He turned his back when Kurt helped Blaine get dressed. He heard muffled words and suddenly there were sobs echoing throughout the room. The sounds became strangled as though a hand was being pressed to his mouth to stop the cries. Finn's heart thudded.

When he turned, he saw Kurt holding Blaine tightly, running a hand over his back as he buried his face into Kurt's shoulder. Kurt's lips were murmuring indecipherable words but his eyes locked with Finn's. He saw tears in Kurt's eyes. Finn stood there silently while Kurt calmed Blaine down and got him to lie in his bed as he pulled up the covers and tucked them around him. He leaned over and whispered to him, then pressed a kiss to his temple and ran a hand through his hair before straightening up. Kurt brushed past Finn and he followed, turning out the light and leaving the door cracked.

When he turned back around, Kurt had his hands over his face and was sliding down the wall until he came to a stop at the floor. Finn dropped down beside him. Pale hands dragged down his face and he turned his eyes, so much more brilliantly blue than usual, up to him.

"Kurt?" Finn asked, a hand resting on his shoulder.

"I don't understand how they could do this. How anyone could do this. They're his parents. Did you know he wanted to give up the baby for adoption? He was terrified that we couldn't give her what she needs when he didn't have what he needed growing up. He's convinced his parents don't love him." He laughed bitterly, "And who can blame him? You saw what they did. He just told me that he wants to keep her. He doesn't ever want her to know a life without feeling loved and wanted. Because he never felt that and it's all he can do to give the life he never had to his child."

Tears slipped past Kurt's closed eyes and Finn reached out and pulled Kurt into a tight hug. It was the first 'real' hug they'd shared. And the time that Finn felt the most connected to his stepbrother. No. His brother. Finn held him and let him cry softly in his arms. He held him without thinking about it. Kurt needed comfort right now and Finn could give him that. When Kurt stopped shaking, Finn pulled back and helped him up.

"You look exhausted. Try to get some sleep okay? You can have my room."

"Finn, I-"

"I'll stay right here. All night. Right outside this door and if I hear one peep, I'll check on him. And I'll get you if I need to. I'll let you know when Burt gets back okay?"

Kurt stared up at him with so much gratitude in his eyes that Finn had never seen before. Then Kurt wrapped his arms around him. "Thank you, Finn. Thank you so much."

Finn gave him a lopsided smile when he pulled away. "That's what brothers are for right? Now go sleep."

Kurt closed the door quietly behind him and Finn sat down next to the door, ears pricked for any sound at all coming from inside the room. He heard nothing but Blaine's gentle snoring and for the moment, was content.

All there was to do now was wait.


	15. Chapter 15

Burt stared up through the driver's side window at the house, all lit up and cozy-looking, even in the hazy rain. He hadn't bothered to take off his coat so he turned off his truck, jumped out and ascended the steps that lead to the front door. He slipped the hood of his coat away from his face and was grateful for the covered overhang. Two short knocks. He waited.

There was a long pause. Then Burt could hear footsteps inside, stopping at the door. Another pause where Burt assumed he was being looked at through the peep-hole and then the creaking as the door was pulled open.

"Can I help you?" Mr. Anderson asked, his voice making it clear that he did not want to help at all.

"Mr. Anderson? My name is Burt Hummel. My son is Kurt Hummel and I would like to talk to you about Blaine." Burt saw the way the man's eyes lit up slightly when he said Kurt's name. So he knew about Kurt.

"There's nothing to talk about. Good night Mr. Hummel." He moved to shut the door, but Burt put his hand up, palm flat against the door.

"I'm not leaving until we talk about this. I think you know exactly what I mean."

Mark hesitated, then his hand tightened on the doorframe. His jaw set and he stared down at Burt with something like ice in his eyes. Burt stared back. Then Mark let out a sigh, straightened up, and gave him a 'welcoming' smile. He held the door open wider. "Do come in Mr. Hummel."

That was good enough for Burt. He brushed past him and was led into the living room. The room was far nicer than Burt would have imagined, but it wasn't hard to believe when compared to the perfect exterior of the house. Mark gestured to the coat rack in a near corner. "You can hang your coat up there."

"Thank you," Burt replied and did so, then sat down on the couch opposite where Mark was sitting on an armchair. He cleared his throat. "Mr. Anderson-"

"Please, call me Mark."

Being on a first name basis with this man, who Burt hated before even meeting him, left a sinking feeling in his stomach but he obliged. "Mark, I'd like to not dance around the point here. You know why I'm here and you damn well better start explaining before I get the cops involved."

Another pause. Mark shifted uncomfortably. "Blaine was speaking out of turn."

"So you hit him?" Burt still couldn't believe it, even though the bruise on Blaine's face had been proof enough.

"I... I will not tolerate that kind of… behavior in my house."

"This is about Blaine being gay?"

"He can choose whatever lifestyle he wishes, but under my roof he will not defile everything we've tried to teach him. He will not come in here and flaunt his… his abnormality-"

"Loving who you want is an abnormality? Mark, I know that getting used to having a gay son is difficult, believe me I've been there, but your own son-"

"Blaine is not my son."

Burt was taken aback. "I'm having a hard time understanding where you're coming from here. I'm sorry if this sounds ignorant in your mind, but how can you essentially toss your own son out on the streets without a second thought? Did you know that he ran for half an hour in the pouring rain from your house to ours? He was exhausted and scared out of his mind! On top of all that, he's pregnant. I assume you know that."

The mask of indifference faded for a few precious seconds when Mark's face showed the fear that would encompass any parent's eyes. The slight nod of his head revealed that he did know that Blaine was pregnant. "He- Is he okay?" he whispered.

True worry was in Mark's words and Burt felt his forehead crease. "Yes, they are both fine. Well, they will be. He was sleeping when I left." Burt regarded Mark for a moment more. "Mr. Anderson, did you know that Blaine is convinced that you don't love him? That he feels like a failure just for being himself? That all he wanted was your acceptance? The pain and hurt in that boy's eyes is something that should never be there. I know that him being pregnant was not something that either of us was expecting. But that doesn't mean that he's a freak or unworthy of love or that he's free game to be slapped. My son, Kurt, he loves Blaine more than I could have ever thought he'd love at this age. They're young, I know, but that doesn't mean that they're incapable of love this strong. I've seen it in both of their eyes. And just because he's your son, it doesn't mean that he is allowed to have it in his mind that he's unloved by his father. That boy is the kindest, bravest kid who gives with all of his heart and it's sad that you don't see that. All he wants is to know that he has a father who loves him."

Mark's eyes were wide. He was silent.

Burt rubbed his palms on the knees of his jeans. "Kurt was devastated when he saw Blaine tonight. I hadn't seen that much desperation in his eyes in a long time. Blaine is your son and as much as I would love to somehow slap it into your face, I don't know how else to get it into your head that Blaine is just fine the way he is. I know that he is the best thing that could have ever happened to Kurt. And I truly haven't seen Kurt this happy to be with someone since his mother was alive. I would like to ask you if it would be alright if Blaine stayed with us. Until the baby is born or… or for however long he wants to stay."

Mark gave a stiff nod and Burt returned it, saying, "Thank you. Now, I'll be asking Blaine if he wants to go to the police about this. Knowing him, he'll say no but I'm giving him the option. And if I hear one murmur of a rumor or anything that you've hurt that boy, I will do everything I can to get the full power of the law on my side. And that won't take much."

Burt stood and grabbed his coat. The only thing that Mark moved was his eyes, following him as he made his way to the door. "Think about what I've said, Mr. Anderson. All Blaine wants is acceptance. If you can't give him that, then we gladly will because that boy deserves more than what he's been shown here."

The door was closed with deliberate calm. It was silent in the house. After a moment, Heather's footsteps were heard and then faded as she came to a stop at the top of the stairs.

"Who was that, honey?"

Mark did not move. "N-no one. Go back upstairs. I'll be there in a minute."

He waited until he could no longer hear her steps on the hardwood floor. His chest was heaving. He clenched his hands on his knees. Then he leaned forward, dropping his head into his hands and for the first time in many years, Mark Anderson cried.

*******

Carole was waiting when Burt arrived back home. He told her everything that had happened over a glass of warm milk. Burt normally wouldn't have come within ten feet of the glass but Carole had handed it to him, saying that Kurt asked her to make sure he got it. So he drank it. Carole nodded throughout his story, shaking her head sometimes and the sadness that had filled him was easily seen in her gaze. Burt was not a violent man. She knew that he could have never actually hurt Blaine's parents and he knew it too.

"I did the best I could. I just hope it's enough." Burt said sadly as he drained the last of the milk.

Carole's arms wrapped around him. "You did, Burt. We all knew that you would."

He knew that neither of them would get much sleep that night. His mind was already racing, though his body was telling him that he was very tired. He told Carole not to wait up for him, knowing she would anyway, and quietly climbed the stairs. His plan was to first go to Finn's room, then to Kurt's, where he knew he would be with Blaine. But that plan was thrown out the window when the first thing he saw was Finn sitting against the wall beside Kurt's door. His head was on his knees and he was fast asleep. Burt immediately stuck his head in Finn's room and saw the sprawled out form of Kurt laying on top of the covers. He too was breathing deeply. Not wanting to wake him, he quietly opened the door that Finn was guarding and was not surprised to see Blaine curled up in the middle of Kurt's bed.

Burt let the light from the door fall onto Blaine's sleeping form. He wasn't sure why, but his feet carried him to the side of the bed. He stood there for a moment and his eyes were drawn to the red-smack-turned-purple-bruise on his cheek. Then his gaze drifted to Blaine's arms that were curled protectively around his middle. He let out a soft sigh. And in a moment, he realized. This could have been Kurt. It could have been Kurt lying here, doing everything he could to protect his unborn child and still be hurting. He would never hurt his child but there were people who would.

Burt blinked, letting the scene come into focus. He felt horrible for feeling this way, but he was glad that it wasn't Kurt. But he would protect Blaine and Kurt and their baby just as any father should. Leaning down, he pulled the covers up and draped them closer around Blaine.

Blaine shifted slightly and Burt wondered what he was dreaming about. Blaine was relaxed in sleep, his face gentle and calm. He looked so much younger now. Burt backed out of the room and softly closed the door, leaving a small crack of light.

He'd forgotten that Finn was right there and almost tripped over him but pulled back just in time, catching himself on the wall. Finn didn't even twitch. A smile came to Burt's face. Heavy sleeper, just like his mother. He knelt down and placed a hand on Finn's shoulder.

"Finn? Finn, wake up."

His eyes fluttered and then his head shot up. "Wha…?"

"Shh. It's okay. Come on, let's get you to bed." Finn could have his bed if he didn't mind sleeping next to his mother (and Finn looked so tired at the moment that Burt didn't think he would mind at all). He'd slept on the couch before and it wasn't that bad.

But Finn wouldn't budge. "No. I need to stay here. I told Kurt."

"Told Kurt what?"

"That I'd stay and make sure Blaine is okay."

A twinkle appeared in Burt's eyes. "Can't do that if you're asleep, son."

"No. I promised."

Burt gave up trying to get him to leave. Instead, he slipped into Finn's room and gathered up an armful of the extra pillow and blankets he kept there for when friends slept over. Depositing them next to him, he ruffled Finn's hair. "I'm proud of you, Finn."

Finn gave him a lopsided smile and hugged the pillow to his chest, a determined look on his face. Every few seconds, he leaned to the side to listen through the crack to Kurt's room. Burt smiled as he made his way back to his room. He knew that Finn would be asleep in a matter of moments, but he commended his efforts.

As Burt slid into bed beside his wife, his mind was still pushing thoughts around and around in his head. He pulled up the covers and kissed Carole's cheek, holding her close in the safety of the darkness and warmth.

If the Mark couldn't show love and protection for his child, then Burt sure as hell wasn't going to let Blaine keep feeling unwanted.


	16. Chapter 16

The bruise on Blaine's cheek was healing. He was healing. Kurt was there, along with Finn, Carole and Burt and they were all helping him heal, doing the best that they could.

He sat with Kurt on his bed, the two of them speaking in soft voices. "It doesn't matter, Kurt."

"Yes, it does." He insisted for the fifth time. "He hit you and… and he could have done worse than that."

"Just drop it okay?"

"Why aren't you upset about this?"

"Because…" he sighed. "Because they don't care about me and I know now that I need to stop trying to get them to care. They're never going to." His voice had gotten softer, but now he steeled his words. "I just want to forget about it. It's been long enough. I told your dad I don't want to talk to the police and I don't want anything to do with them." His hand rested protectively on his stomach. A soft smile appeared on his face. "She's moving around a lot."

Kurt let a smile pull at the edge of his lips, but he didn't want to drop the subject. He saw how much Blaine just wanted to forget though and didn't push it other than a soft, "Your parents love you, Blaine." He didn't respond and Kurt didn't expect him to. Burt had told them both that he'd spoken with Blaine's father and explained the situation.

Blaine had snorted. "Yeah, and now they're so distraught that they realize now they've been hurting their only son for nineteen years and they're ready to welcome me back with open arms."

Burt had only sighed, unable to come up with a response that wouldn't hurt. It had taken a lot to get Blaine to fall asleep that night. He didn't mention anything about it in the days and weeks that followed and no one else in the house did either, other than Carole and Kurt occasionally checking his fading bruise. Burt and Carole had welcomed him into their home almost immediately and Kurt was so thankful to them. Not that Blaine hadn't been welcomed before, but now, they were making an extra effort to make him feel like a part of the family and so far, it had worked. Blaine had been smiling again.

Blaine was so big now it was hard to believe. His middle was completely rounded and he'd even developed a waddle as he walked. Kurt thought it was unbelievably adorable. He was kind of obsessed with Blaine's belly which annoyed the hell out of the curly-haired boy but he put up with it most of the time. He was currently laying on his back, supported by two pillows while Kurt lay beside him. Blaine had stopped being self-conscious about his body around the Hummels. But Kurt was the only one (besides his OB in Lima) who he let see his stomach bare. Kurt had pulled back Blaine's shirt so it exposed his stomach completely. It was dark in the room where they lay, with the door closed and only the stars shining in, but this was how they liked it. They liked to feel the calm that came with the night and to just be. Blaine's arm lay out at an angle and held Kurt close to him. Kurt rested his head on Blaine's chest and was drawing little patterns on Blaine's skin with his fingers.

"Blaine?"

He opened his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

He laughed, a comforting sound. "Kurt, if I was more okay, I'd be a pile of jelly right now. Any reason why you're asking?"

"Well, I've been reading and I don't know… the baby's a lot bigger now. Thirty weeks and well… does she hurt at all? Some of the information says it might be uncomfortable."

Blaine paused. "I'm just happy she's growing well and she's healthy. I can deal with a little discomfort."

"Like?" Kurt prompted. "Does you back hurt?" He'd suspected this. The way Blaine had been standing lately was noticeable to Kurt. There was a curve in his back that hadn't been there before to accommodate the extra weight around his stomach.

"Oh. Umm, well, yeah. I guess. But it's not bad."

"Want me to rub your back for you?"

"Kurt, you don't have to-"

"I want to." Kurt protested and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You've been under a lot of stress. I want to make you feel better."

Blaine smiled and it crinkled the corners of his eyes. "If you're offering, I'm not going to turn it down."

"Good." Kurt smiled too and sat up to let Blaine shift onto his side.

He ran his hands down Blaine's back, watching with a slight grin as goosebumps appeared on his skin. "Sorry," he whispered. "I know my hands are cold."

A laugh was heard and Blaine tilted his head. "It's okay."

Kurt began gently working his thumbs up and down Blaine's back but quickly focused on his lower back, as he found that that was where Blaine tensed up. "Relax," Kurt whispered in his ear. Slowly, Kurt's fingers coaxed him to release the tension and he worked his thumbs in deeper. Kurt smiled as Blaine let out a groan when he ran over a spot that hurt and was able to take away that tense pain. He pressed his lips in between Blaine's shoulder blades and wrapped his arms around him. Blaine pulled Kurt's hands over until they were resting on the curve of his stomach, with Blaine's hands covering his own.

"Six more weeks. I can't believe we have to wait that long. It seems like forever."

"I know." Kurt pressed his forehead into Blaine's hair. "Bet you're glad now for that narrow pelvis huh?"

Blaine laughed again. "You making fun of me?"

"Maybe a little." He smiled against Blaine's curls. Six weeks. They were leaving in four weeks to fly back to California. Burt had gotten their tickets a week ago after double checking with Blaine's doctor and quietly explaining the situation to the travel agent. Blaine was in the all-clear as long as the pregnancy went normally from here until the date they were schedule to fly. The airline wouldn't allow pregnancies past the thirty six week mark to fly so they'd decided to go to California when Blaine was thirty four weeks and spend the two weeks in San Diego. At their last OB appointment (which Blaine had let Kurt go to), it had been deemed he had a slightly narrower pelvis than other pregnant men his doctor had seen. Lisa had consulted Dr. Raine in San Diego and they had both agreed that a scheduled cesarean section was the best plan of action. Blaine was scheduled to have their baby on September third.

It was exciting, if not nerve-wracking, to know the exact date that they were going to become parents. Kurt had set up a white board calendar and was eagerly marking off the days. He hadn't been able to stop himself and had gone shopping to buy a few baby outfits, but he had the cashier wrap them up and had hidden them in his closet so Blaine couldn't see the color. Kurt had gone this long without saying anything about their baby's gender and it had been surprisingly easy to not say a word. But that was becoming more difficult.

However, he was planning a surprise baby shower within the next three weeks for Blaine and that (mostly) kept his mind off of wanting to shout out the sex. Although sometimes, he had to stop himself from mentioning it. Not even his parents knew and Finn was currently taking bets. He was hoping for a boy so he could start training him to be the quarterback. Most of the Glee girls had wanted a girl, while the Glee boys wanted a boy. Kurt expected this. The Warblers were split and Nick and Jeff would get into light arguments every now and then, each boy being positive that the baby was the sex that they wanted. Kurt was the only person who knew and it was empowering to have that kind of secret, but also annoying because a lot more than one person had tried to get him to spill the beans on accident. Kurt kept his lips shut tightly, more for Blaine's sake than anyone's. He knew Blaine would be devastated if everyone but him knew, even if he refused to be told.

He pressed another kiss to Blaine's hair, rubbing his thumbs lightly on his stomach. They were so close now. Kurt hoped that planning the baby shower would keep his mind occupied when it was so easy to get caught up in the anxiousness of waiting. He smiled as the baby began to move beneath their hands. It was annoying for Blaine, but Kurt got so excited every time it happened. It was like the feeling he used to get when he was a younger at Christmas. Blaine sighed but Kurt pressed his hands up closer as if he could actually feel the baby under Blaine's skin. Blaine pulled his hand out from under Kurt's and began to rub over the lower part of his belly, where she was moving the most, and trying to soothe her.

"I'm never going to be able to get to sleep," Blaine groaned and pushed himself up with his legs dangling off the side of the bed.

Kurt slid off the bed and knelt down, moving his hands up and down the sides of Blaine's bulging middle. "Can I sing to her?" he asked, peering up at Blaine, who smiled.

He ran his hand through Kurt's hair. "You know it helps calm her down."

Kurt grinned and inched his way closer until his nose was pressing right above Blaine's belly button. He sat there for a moment, loving the feel of Blaine's warm skin under his hands, until Blaine jerked a bit and pulled away, laughing.

"Not too close, love. The breath from your nose tickles."

Kurt giggled. "Sorry." He pressed up close, but an inch away from his nose touching his skin again, and took a breath, singing softly.

*Dancing bears

Painted wings

Things I almost remember

And a song someone sings

Once upon a December...*

Blaine stared down lovingly at Kurt, who had his eyes locked on his belly. It was adorable. And Kurt sang this song beautifully. It was the only song that ever truly calmed their baby. He had a feeling that Kurt would be singing this song a lot more in the future.

As usual, Blaine felt their child calm within him. He pictured her curled up and drifting off to sleep, perhaps sucking her thumb, as she dreamed of prancing horses and dancing bears. Kurt looked up and met his eyes as he sang the last lines, hands moving gently against the curve of Blaine's stomach. Blaine slid his hands down to meet with Kurt's and whispered the lines along with him.

And a song someone sings

Once upon a December

They let the note fade and they were left in silence once more. Blaine smiled as Kurt stood.

"Better?" he whispered, as if he were afraid of waking her.

"I think she's sleeping," he replied with his grin growing wider. "You know I'm a sucker for Disney, but I really love that song and I don't mind it's not Disney."

Kurt rethreaded their fingers together. "Our baby is going to be a Disney baby isn't she?"

Blaine laughed. "I don't know how to make that clearer. I've played her so many songs on the piano she's probably sick of them now."

"Our little princess." Kurt sighed gently and gave Blaine a look with such love in his eyes. Blaine pressed his forehead to Kurt's.

"I think 'Once Upon a Dream' is her favorite."

"Ah, Sleeping Beauty. She has excellent taste." He smiled and kissed the top of Blaine's stomach. "Goodnight, Sleeping Beauty."

"You're such a goofball," Blaine mused, but caught his lips in a kiss as he straightened up.

Kurt smiled into the kiss and pulled Blaine closer, deepening the kiss and running his hands through Blaine's curls. As if chastising them for disrupting her sleep, their baby kicked. Blaine laughed loudly and muffled the noise with his hand, the smile evident in his eyes.

"Guess she's telling all of us to get to sleep."

"Guess so." But the smile was stuck on Blaine's face. They laid together and Blaine began to gently sing, with Kurt nuzzling in close.

*The second star to the right

Shines in the night for you...*

This was one of Kurt's favorite songs that Blaine sang. He imagined their baby being the star. After all, she truly did 'shine with a light that's rare,' even in just being there. She was their shining star. Their little Sleeping Beauty.

Oh, yes. Their baby was most definitely a Disney baby.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hurry up." Kurt's smile would have lit up the room if it were possible.

"What? Why?" Blaine asked, tugging a comb through his hair. "We're just going to get ice cream. And why did you make me put on this," he glanced down at his shirt, "when you know I just want to wear my sweatshirt and watch movies?"

Kurt's grin was infuriating. "Because I said so."

"Oh, so now I have to do everything you say?" He placed the comb back in the drawer and stepped up in front of Kurt, who draped his arms over Blaine's shoulders and kissed his nose.

"Yes. And because I know you will."

Blaine smiled. "You know me too well."

"Now come on! Let's go!" Kurt grabbed his hand and tugged him along. Kurt had been working hard on this and it was difficult to get it all set up without Blaine knowing and he was very excited. Kurt had kept Blaine upstairs for the better part of an hour while the Warblers and Glee club had snuck inside and transformed the living room. Rachel had been given the title of 'decorator' because Kurt knew she could keep everyone on track.

When Kurt led Blaine downstairs, he was not disappointed. The Hummel living room was filled with people and decorations so it was fit to burst, much like the way Blaine felt lately. Pink, blue, yellow, and green crepe paper streamers streaked the ceiling and hung down in varying arches and there was a giant stack of diapers in the shape of a cake off to the side, next to a large table housing other presents. An actual cake and party food stood on the other side of the room, where Burt and Carole were smiling up at them. Blaine stopped cold on the stairs and took in the scene as Kurt turned and spread his arms.

"Ta da!" He grinned widely and clapping was heard behind him. Blaine slowly made his way down the rest of the stairs and continued to stare wide-eyed around him.

"What… why are… did you guys do all this?" he said, clearly not expecting anything.

Warblers were dispersed throughout the Glee members, everyone in 'weekend wear.' It was odd to see all of the Warblers out of uniform at one time. It was kind of weird how much they were defined by their uniforms. But that didn't stop each and every one of them from giving Blaine huge smiles and handshakes.

Chatter filled the room, with Blaine receiving many grins and hugs. He turned to Kurt with a smile on his face.

"Did you know about this?"

"Of course, silly. Who do you think organized it? Rachel did the decorations."

The decorator herself, dressed in a red sweater and matching knee-high socks, gave Blaine a tight hug. "You can send your thank-you notes to my mailbox," she laughed. "I was just glad Puck was able to refrain from tying someone up with the crepe paper."

"Still not a dead option," he called, raising an eyebrow and an extra roll of the paper.

"Noah, if you do, I swear-"

"Kidding, geez." Puck groaned, but Kurt saw him laugh when he turned away. He made a mental note to keep Blaine away from Puck's impending crepe paper disaster. The last thing he needed was for his pregnant boyfriend to end up with his arms tied down to his body.

Rachel faced the boys again and laughed. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he behaves."

Finn appeared behind Rachel, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Hey dudes! Kurt, I told you I could handle taking the cake out here. I didn't drop anything."

"I can see that, Finn. Thank you." Kurt couldn't stop the smile that came to his face. He'd half been expecting the cake to end up on the table upside-down. So far, so good.

Being the center of attention is a whirlwind and to Blaine, it seemed like when he'd finally greeted everyone, that the party had just started. Finn had set up a poster board and spelled out on one side in pink letters: GIRL and on the other in blue letters: BOY, writing tick marks under each sex as the guests predicted. BOY was currently winning, though given the ratio of boys to girls in the room, it wasn't that surprising. Carole and Burt had hung back in the beginning, pointing out the cooler of drinks and the bathroom, but once Blaine was no longer surrounded by his friends, they gave each boy a hug.

"We're very proud of you both," Carole told them and Burt nodded agreement with a smile.

Kurt gave them both long hugs before giving a departing smile and pulling Blaine back to the center of the living room. They sat on the couch and Kurt turned to him and linked their fingers together.

"Happy baby shower," he said softly.

Blaine squeezed his hand. "I love you," he said in the same soft tone.

Kurt smiled. "I love you too."

With everything that had happened in the past months, it was hard to remember where they had been before this had ever been a reality. Kurt had thought he'd be alone forever. Blaine had never thought he'd be able to find someone who he could truly love. And all that had changed when they met each other. Months later, they could say 'I love you' and mean it with more feeling than they'd ever realized they could feel. With the baby on the way (though they'd never thought that that was possible), they'd found love in more ways than one. They loved each other, they loved their baby, they loved their friends. Although sometimes they wondered about their friends, especially when they found stray balloons that had fallen from the ceiling and used them as volleyballs to spike over crepe paper nets.

Sometimes they forgot that they were still just teenagers.

Kurt saw a gentle smile on Blaine's face and he knew that no matter how much growing up they'd had to do in the previous months and no matter how much they were still going to have to grow up, they would be alright.

A balloon was hit and missed its target, deciding to take a detour and bounce on Kurt's hair. He reached up and snagged the projectile, grinning at Nick. Looking over, he raised an eyebrow at Blaine.

"Go get him tiger." Blaine said, a hint of laughter in his voice as he tried to keep a straight face.

The mischievous look in his eyes shined brightly and Kurt bounded up, preparing to pelt Nick. Blaine laughed as he watched the ensuing scene in which almost every Warbler ran in to help, followed by most of the Glee club. Blaine wasn't sure who was on whose side, but somehow everyone ended up in a large tangle of arms and legs on the floor.

Smiling to himself, Blaine pushed himself up and wandered over to the kitchen. Carole had her back to him and was searching through the cabinets.

"Hey Finn, can you grab the cake knife for me? I think it's in one of the boxes in the garage."

She turned and in doing so, knocked a box of plastic forks off the table. They clattered all over the floor and Blaine winced, the light smile still on his face.

"Oh, hi Blaine," She smiled at him and bent to pick up the forks. "How are you?"

"I'm great." He looked a bit sadly at the forks. He would have helped her in a second, but bending down was getting difficult these days. "Sorry I can't help with those. Do you want me to go get the knife?"

Carole looked up from her fortress of forks. "Nope. No way. You're not running errands at your own party. It would help a lot though if you could tell Finn to get it for me?"

He smiled. "Sure thing."

Upon reentering the living room though, he was greeted with shrieks of laughter. He thought he saw Finn at the bottom of the dog pile, recognizable by his shoe sticking out. Finn was not getting out of there any time soon. It really wasn't a big deal to just go to the garage and get the knife himself. He shook his head and smiled at Burt, who was watching the scene with an amused look.

"Someone's going to get crushed."

"As long as it's not Kurt," Blaine looked over to where Kurt was leaning against the table with the diaper cake, "I'm good."

Burt laughed and clapped him on the back. "Better hope it's not Finn that loses a leg. We'd all be in trouble."

He grinned back at him and turned the brass handle on the front door, eyes glancing at the pile that was slowly becoming disentangled. He could only hope everyone would still be in one piece by the end of today. Blaine opened the door, eyes still downcast, and stepped out on the porch. And he looked up.

He froze. He couldn't move. Everything in his body was screaming at him to move and yet, he couldn't. The breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened as he took in the many people with their many cameras and the one thing that went through his mind over and over was: no.

No. No. No. No. No. His mind screamed that one word even before he could make a sound, he felt the slightly rough hand on his arm, dragging him backwards.

"Get inside, Blaine," Burt said, voice unwelcoming as he shoved him inside the house. Blaine pressed his back up to the wall and used his hands to feel his way down as he sunk to the floor with a moan. It kind of hurt to get all the way on the ground, but his legs just wouldn't support him. His breath came faster and he could barely hear Kurt as he dropped next to him.

"Look at me. Baby, look at me. What's wrong?"

Kurt's voice was far away. All Blaine could hear was his own thoughts. He swallowed hard and didn't move his gaze. He could barely hear Burt shouting something. The change in atmosphere was palpable. Everyone in the room stood, all roughhousing gone, and seemed frozen too, unsure of what to do or even of what was happening. Then a flash of red strutted past Blaine's line of vision. She passed Burt with a look of angry determination on her face and the yell that came out of her mouth made Burt and everyone else inside shut up.

"Hey! I'm only going to say this once so everyone listen up!" Rachel hollered. "I know there's no way to stop you idiots from running whatever video you just got and I don't know how you all found out about Blaine but make sure that this goes on the record. My name is Rachel Berry. I have known Kurt since freshman year and Blaine since junior year. Those boys love each other with more sincerity than I've seen in any relationship in the whole entire school. One of them is pregnant. So what? Everyone loves the same and everyone should be given the same opportunities and not have to live in fear all the time." Rachel pointed behind her, but did not turn from the still-rolling cameras. "That boy in there is one of the strongest, bravest people I know and he's terrified! It's idiots like you people who make me hate society. Want to know why he didn't say anything? Why he didn't want anyone else to know? Because he was terrified for the safety of his baby, for his family, for those who love him. No one should have to feel that! I know that Blaine and Kurt are going to make the best parents in the world. I have two gay dads and I know how hard it can be to just be who you are. They've struggled with that, with social acceptance, for years but I know that they would do anything for me, just so I can have a chance at my dreams. Kurt and Blaine are no different! Their child is going to be loved and cared for and they are going to give that baby the world, and I'm glad that they are able to share that with each other. Blaine is seven months pregnant and he does not need this kind of stress right now so I suggest that you all pack up your shit," Rachel paused and took a breath, "and *kindly* GET OFF OF THEIR LAWN!" The full power of her singer-trained lungs was unleashed and coupled with a sharp finger jab pointing them back down the street. She continued to glare until one by one, the news crews began to leave.

She stomped back in the house, with a slightly shell-shocked Burt behind her, looking a bit red in the face but otherwise completely calm now.

"Holy shit," Finn breathed. Carole was kneeling beside Blaine, with Kurt next to her. Kurt looked horrified and Blaine had his face buried in his hands, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Blaine?" Rachel asked gently and hesitantly placed a hand on his arm. "It's okay now. They're gone."

It was silent in the house, like all the air and everything else has just been sucked out. Blaine slowly lifted his head.

"It's not okay," he whispered, his voice thick and tears pouring down his face.

"Blaine, it-" Kurt never got more than those two words out before Blaine was speaking again.

"Everyone knows now." Blaine's eyes were directed at the floor and darted around frantically. "They all know." He lifted horrified, pain-filled eyes and looked directly at Kurt as he shouted, "EVERYONE KNOWS!"

The power of his broken words surprised everyone. Rachel turned her head to look behind her, begging with her gaze for someone to help.

"We'll… we'll help you." Puck said, taking a step forward. "We've got your back."

Wes elaborated, nodding at Puck. "Whatever you need, we'll do what we can."

"My dad's a lawyer. They won't be able to come near you or we'll take them to court. Anyone who tries, we can stop them." Mike offered.

Rachel turned back to Blaine. "And my dads will be there for you. They obviously can't understand what you're going though, but they can sympathize. They know what it's like to be discriminated against, words thrown at them. We're all here for you."

Blaine closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the wall. He was silent, only the sounds of his deep breathing as he controlled his jumping heart rate. When he opened his eyes and looked at everyone around him, he forced a small smile that would seem convincing to everyone except Kurt and said carefully, "That would really mean a lot to me."

Only Kurt saw the gleam in his eyes that meant he was trying to pass like he was okay. But Rachel nodded and gave him a smile in return.

"I'll talk to my dads tonight and let Kurt know. We'll all be glad to have you over."

Kurt ran his hand up and down Blaine's arm without even realizing he was doing it. Blaine gave him a glance. "I'm fine, Kurt."

Kurt opened his mouth but closed it again and nodded stiffly. They could talk about this later. Rachel and Kurt both helped him stand and Kurt wrapped a secure arm around his waist.

"Blaine, I think you should sit down," Carole put a hand on his shoulder. He looked over and nodded. Kurt helped him over to the armchair, though Blaine was carrying his weight just fine without leaning on him at all. But Kurt was still worried.

"Honey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Carole. Really. I'm fine." Blaine assured her with a smile that held all of his charm. He pressed his hand to the bottom of his stomach and shifted. Kurt knew Blaine's face well enough to see the small wrinkles of a frown that appeared on his forehead but they were barely noticeable. But then it was gone. Damn Braxton-Hicks had been making their existence known every once in a while. Blaine was getting tired of them. It was hard enough to sleep at night with the heartburn and the fact that he had to lie on his side, instead of his preferred sleeping position on his stomach. He surveyed his friends, noticing that they were all shifting around awkwardly, not knowing what to do. So he remedied the tense atmosphere with the first thing that popped into his head. He clapped his hands together and gave a dazzling smile.

"Well, now that I'm sitting down, how about we start opening the little munchkin's presents?"


	18. Chapter 18

It had been three days since Blaine's baby shower. Kurt wouldn't call it a complete disaster, but he was very close to assuming those words to describe it. It had ended pretty quickly after the reporters showed up, with Blaine opening the baby gifts he was allowed to open (Kurt was saving his own presents for Blaine and the baby until the little tyke arrived) and after that, their friends started leaving. The tension was still thick in the air, no matter how much Blaine tried to assure everyone he was fine, and after the last person left, Carole had sent both boys up to relax while she cleaned everything up. Kurt had flashed her a grateful smile and stayed up with Blaine while he cried for hours.

It was worse once the actual footage aired. The next day, Burt was watching the news, with Kurt and a much calmer Blaine scouring a book of baby names that Finn had gotten them (he noted with a soft smile that 'Drizzle' was written in red pen under both the girl section and the boy section), when the 'latest' news segment flashed across the screen. Blaine's head shot up when he heard Rachel's screeching voice blaring from the TV, while Kurt lifted his gaze slowly, being careful to take in Blaine's face. Blaine's smile fell and his entire body tensed when the video was shown of him on the porch, looking pale and terrified. Kurt's hand closed tightly around Blaine's. Burt switched channels quickly, but it wasn't fast enough and the damage had been done. Blaine's breathing was jerky and shallow and when he met Kurt's eyes, Kurt swore that his heart had broken.

Their house was swarmed with television reporters from a myriad of news stations, all wanting to talk to Blaine. The boys mainly stayed in their room for the few days that followed, asking their friends not to stop by so they didn't get caught up in the mess occurring outside. Kurt was so thankful to his parents for shooing them away and doing the same thing again and again when they kept coming back. Kurt held Blaine a lot during that and gently stroked his hair when Burt's yells could be heard from the second story. Blaine's hand moved up and down his stomach worriedly and Kurt wondered if he even knew he was doing it. When Kurt pressed his hand to Blaine's, the movement stopped. Blaine just looked at him and then snuggled in closer.

********

When Kurt awoke the next day, he heard banging noises coming from the spare room that was to be the nursery for the time being. Being careful not to disturb Blaine, he slid out from under the covers and cautiously tip toed his way to the next room. What he found made a grin break out on his face. Carole and Burt were finishing putting the last side onto a darkly stained wood cradle and Finn was sitting on the floor, looking at directions on how to put together the mobile in his hands. There were blankets and burp cloths and boxes of diapers stacked on and around the rocking chair, ready to be organized in the bottom drawers of the changing table. Kurt felt his eyes fill with tears when Carole turned around.

"Oh, honey, you weren't supposed to see this yet."

"Mom… it… it's beautiful."

Carole smiled gently and pulled him into a hug. "We went with neutral colors but didn't add too much decoration. I figured you'd want to do that yourself."

"This is going to mean so much to Blaine," he whispered, unable to stop the grin and the tears.

"Why don't you go see if he's ready for breakfast?" Burt asked. "Carole had me cut up some fruit this morning and we have oatmeal ready."

"There's cinnamon too," Finn added, holding up the finished mobile and pressing a button, causing the tiny pastel cartoon animals to rotate along to a soft melody.

"That sounds great. I'll go wake him up. And thank you all again. This… and everything… it means more than you know."

Carole lightly kissed him on the forehead and he turned, walking quickly to his room, where Blaine should have been asleep. But he wasn't. Confused, Kurt flicked on the light, but relaxed when he saw the light peeking out from under his bathroom door.

Blaine was standing in front of the mirror, his shirt pulled up over his belly and he pressed his hands near his navel. These damn Braxton-Hicks were horrid. They just wouldn't go away no matter how much he rubbed his belly to try and soothe these pains. He sighed, hoping Kurt had some Advil or something. And his lower back was aching all last night. He heard a soft knock on the door and tugged down his shirt before opening it to find Kurt, a wide grin on his face.

"Good morning sleepyhead."

"Says the man who is not currently carrying their baby and doesn't need more than six hours of sleep."

Kurt poked him lightly in the arm. "There's breakfast downstairs."

Switching off the light, Blaine followed Kurt out and frowned slightly as the pain came again. God, would these never end?

Blaine quickly placed a smile on his face. Kurt hadn't noticed the frown and he didn't want to get him worried over nothing.

Once seated, Carole placed steaming bowls of oatmeal sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar in front of them, with cut fruit in bowls to the side. Kurt dug in immediately, eying Blaine, who picked up a small spoonful and then just stirred it around.

"When I woke up this morning, guess what they'd done to the spare room?"

Blaine looked up, suddenly not hungry at all. "Bouncy castle?"

Kurt snorted, almost choking on his breakfast. "It's a nursery! Well, I'll have to do the finishing touches later, but I was thinking of silver and blue accents. Those would look nice with the light yellow of the walls…"

Kurt was looking to Carole for confirmation, but her eyes and the eyes of everyone else at the table were looking at Blaine. He whipped his head around, watching Blaine's face pale and the crease between his eyes deepen.

Blaine had his hand fisted around his spoon, eyes staring down at the food in front of him. He was breathing deeper than he realized because that pain that he'd had just now was different than the others. That one… hurt. And it was gone as soon as it had come. He looked up to find Kurt, Carole, Burt, and Finn staring at him. He shook his head slightly, hoping to dispel their worry.

"Sorry, must have been in my own world for a second. Kurt, do you think-" he stopped abruptly when the expressions on all of their faces did not change.

"Are you okay?" Carole asked.

"What? I'm fine."

"You look pale, honey. Are you-"

"I'm sure." He put a bit more force into the words than necessary. "It's just… gas pains or something. Would you all stop looking at me like that? You're starting to freak me out."

"Blaine, if anything-"

"Kurt, jesus, I said I was fine. Back off alright." He stood, leaving his uneaten breakfast on the table. "Thank you, Carole, but I'm more tired than I thought. I'm going to go back to sleep."

Kurt looked really hurt at the harsh dismissal and Blaine left without another word, hoping that no one would follow him. He didn't feel like talking right now. His back hurt and he kept getting these aching pains and he just felt like he was walking in a fog, like nothing was clear anymore. He just wanted to be alone. He was relieved when no one came after him, and he heard their soft voices in the kitchen as he went up the stairs.

"Kurt, I think he just needs some time alone right now."

"Being pregnant is hard. Your mother sometimes wanted nothing more than to go lie in a dark room for a while and sleep without having to answer any questions."

"It's like when Rachel gets pissed and needs to not see anyone for a while. He'll come out when he's not ready to tear our faces off."

Blaine bit his lip. None of those were the reason he wanted to be alone right now. He crawled back into bed, pulling the covers up and curled over, wrapping one hand around his belly. He silently prayed that this was not happening, that he was just being paranoid, that he was not going into preterm labor. They were so close to going to California for the C-section. So close. Only a week away. He had to keep their baby safe and if he couldn't do that… he sighed. His father was right. He was a freak.

In his restless sleep, Blaine had a dream. No, a nightmare. He was on some kind of ship, an old wooden ship like the ones he played with as a child, but the water was pink and frothing, like the bubbles he'd blow in his strawberry milk. He was so dizzy and felt sick but the boat kept churning and he knew there was a sea monster below the waters and a moment later, the creature appeared. It had a human face, the face of the reporter he'd first locked eyes with on the porch, only now he had scaly purple skin and eyes like rubies that reflected Blaine's terrified face. The monster opened its mouth, showing blazingly white teeth that were sharpened to points that could slice him in half in a second. His arms curled around his stomach, trying to protect his baby with the only thing he could. He screamed for Kurt, yelled for help, but no one was there. The monster roared and the ship began to rock sickeningly with the tossing sea, raising up higher and higher until it threatened to capsize him. The ship tilted at a horrifying angle and Blaine's feet slipped. The last thing he saw where the ruby-red eyes twinkling with glee as the monster stared down its next meal. Blaine screamed and-

Kurt's hand was on Blaine's shoulder as Blaine awoke with a terrified cry. He was sweating and breathing hard.

"Blaine? Baby, we could hear you screaming downstairs. It's just a dream. You're okay."

He looked up to see that the rest of the Hummel family was behind Kurt, staring down at him with equal looks of fear on their faces. Blaine slowly sat up, letting his legs dangle off the edge of the bed.

"I don't feel good," he whispered as the room began to spin. His hands tightened in the sheets and Carole was beside him in an instant.

"Honey, you don't look good. Burt, can you get the car started?"

No, Blaine did not want to go to the hospital. The press would have a field day with that. He looked like shit and he couldn't give them another story to air, like he was just some kind of-

A groan hissed from between his teeth. The pain was back again. He pressed a shaking hand hard to his stomach and barely felt Carole's hand alongside his own. Her eyes widened and she met his gaze, ignoring Kurt's slightly panicked questions.

"Blaine, how long has this been happening?" she asked him in a calmer voice than her eyes gave away.

His chest heaved slightly as he waited for it to go away. His answer was barely audible. "It's only been this bad for a couple hours, but… a day or so?"

Carole sucked in a tight breath. "We're going to the hospital right now."

Blaine's eyes burned. "They're just Braxton-Hicks. I'm fine. Seriously, Carole, I know when-"

"No, Blaine. I'm calling the shots right now. We're taking you to the hospital."

Kurt felt his body shake with adrenaline and fear as he silently helped Carole get Blaine up. He felt like his brain had been shut off, like he couldn't think anymore. His eyes met Carole's for a brief moment and he just felt like this was all a dream.

This was bad. This was really bad.


	19. Chapter 19

Blaine looked over at Kurt with a clouded haze of fear in his eyes. Kurt could only sigh gently and hold his hand. The doctor had left a few minutes ago and they were still slightly in shock.

Blaine had been given a tablet of nifedipine to stop his contractions for the time being (and he would continue to get them for the next few hours) and was confined to bed rest for as long as possible. The doctor had said that the longer their baby stayed where he should, the better. Even delaying labor for a few days would greatly increase lung development and their baby would have a greater chance of survival. But even then, even if they were able to hold off labor for a week, the baby would be two weeks premature from the already early due date set earlier. In terms of a nine-month scale, the baby would be six weeks early. That's if Blaine gave birth in one week from now.

Kurt could feel his heart still slowly returning back to a normal rhythm. He'd been so terrified earlier. All he could think of was the article that he'd kept hidden from Blaine all these months. Zachary Ater had gone into premature labor because his body couldn't handle the baby growing inside him. And he'd almost died. They'd lost the baby, but Zachary was okay. Shaken up and mourning, but alive. And all Kurt could think of the terrifying car ride to the hospital was not Blaine, not Blaine, please not Blaine. It was horrible to think about, but Kurt had known that in that moment, if he had to choose between saving Blaine or their baby, he would choose Blaine. He wouldn't even hesitate. But he felt terrible. The guilt of the answer he would choose to a question that hadn't even been asked, that wasn't an issue now, was written all over his face. And Blaine misread that.

"Kurt," he said softly and closed his fingers around his pale hand, "it's going to be okay. Now you just have to listen to me complain about sitting here like an invalid for a while." A smile pulled at his lips, but disappeared in a second. "Hey. Come here."

Kurt had silent tears spilling over his eyes and he crawled in next to Blaine, feeling like a five year-old again, so small and just needing the comfort of secure arms around him.

"What's wrong?" Blaine whispered against his temple.

"I was so, so scared. I didn't… I thought… I don't know."

Blaine pulled him up closer and Kurt pressed his face into Blaine's shoulder. "Well you don't have to worry now. I'm full of drugs that take away the pain and the little one has stopped trying to make a break for it. I'm okay. We're both okay." He silently moved Kurt's hand to his belly. Kurt lifted his head and looked at Blaine, who was trying so hard to show him that he didn't need to be scared. Blaine's eyes were staring deep into his own, needing him to know that he was okay. Kurt nodded and snuggled back in close. "And hopefully in a few days, we'll get to meet our baby." Kurt could hear the happiness in Blaine's voice and for his sake, he tried to smile. But god, he was so worried.

The doctor had said that they were going to see how Blaine's body reacted to the drugs that halted his labor, then decide if it was safe enough for him and the baby, to get him to a clinic that could better handle a pregnant male. If things went bad, they would do all they could for him here. Kurt couldn't lose Blaine. He could not. Just the thought made him sick to his stomach.

But Blaine was okay, for now. He was calm and not in pain and seemed hopeful about this entire situation. Blaine was gently running his fingers over Kurt's hair and Kurt slowly moved his hand over Blaine's stomach, where it seemed their baby was sleeping.

Kurt sighed again and slowly began to hum. Once Upon a December. Blaine's voice joined beside his and together, they softly sang, not caring at all that they'd seemed to have forgotten that Burt, Carole, and Finn were waiting outside. Foreheads touching and eyes closed, the laid together and neither one noticed Carole stick her head in the door and in a night that had been an event that no one had expected, she felt a smile on her lips as she looked at them, so calm and so in love and needing to be together. She carefully closed the door to Blaine's room and joined Burt in filling out paperwork. Finn came back with a bottle of water from the vending machine and sat, unscrewing the cap and taking a long drink.

And they waited.


	20. Chapter 20

Two days. That's how long Blaine had been in the hospital, practically bored to tears while laying or sitting up in the bed. He only ever got up to go to the bathroom and the bouncing energy that was Blaine was fading quickly in the form of irritation. Kurt had tried to keep him occupied by reading together or watching movies or sleeping or rubbing his back or drawing pictures or singing, but there was only so much he could do. Kurt wanted their baby and Blaine to be safe and healthy, but he really didn't know what he was going to do if Blaine had to be here for another five days. The Lima hospital had called the center a few hours away that had doctors trained in male pregnancies and birth, but a multi-car pile-up close by had sent the hospital into an organized frenzy as they tried to take care of those who needed it and because Blaine was fine for now, they told him to stay put. Going to that hospital was just going to put unneeded stress on himself and the baby. So they stayed.

They hadn't talked about a name. Kurt knew that Blaine didn't really want to. He knew as well as Kurt did that there was still plenty of time for things to go wrong. Giving the baby a name wasn't going to make things easier if something did happen and Kurt did not want to think about that. They'd agreed to name their baby once he or she was safe in their arms.

"Kurrrrrrt." Blaine whined and Kurt turned his head from where he was curled up against him.

"Yes?"

"Can I pleeeease get up? I want to walk around. Just for a little bit. Pleeeease. If I don't get up, I may just die."

Kurt snorted at the words and also at the puppy-dog look that filled his eyes. "You might die, huh?"

"Yes."

A worried crease appeared in between Kurt's eyebrows. "I don't know…"

"Please Kurt?" And now there was true begging in his tone, all silliness aside.

Kurt sighed, battling his inner mother hen to tell him no, that he had to sit his butt down and keep their baby safe. But it wasn't like he was asking to run a mile or something. He just wanted to stretch his legs. "Fine," Kurt finally gave in, "but only for a little bit."

The happiness on Blaine's face was clear and he was already shifting in his eagerness to get out of the hospital bed. When Kurt wrapped his arm around his waist, he leaned into Kurt's arm and gently pushed himself up. "Man, that's getting more difficult every time," Blaine grumbled.

"Won't be too long now. Soon you'll be annoying everyone again with your boundless energy."

Blaine grinned. "What's left of my energy has been left on that bed. Along with a very deep print of my ass, I might add."

Kurt couldn't stop the giggle that fell from his lips. Then he turned to him and said, "Take it slow and tell me about-"

"About anything, I know, Kurt. Thank you for worrying."

"Trust me, if you weren't carrying our little peanut, I think I'd just not care at all."

"Oh, you know you love me." Blaine countered as they began to slowly walk around the room.

"That's my downfall."

Blaine sighed in satisfaction as he paused and stretched out a leg in front of him. "I never want to sit down again."

Kurt smiled and Blaine looked down at his distended stomach as they continued on, reaching the door and turning around again.

"Geez, Kurt. Why didn't you tell me I looked like a whale?"

"Because you don't!"

"I feel like a whale."

"Oh, don't be so superficial."

"Says the man who spends an hour on his facials every morning."

"Deep conditioning facials and I only do those once a week, thank you very much."

"Hey, Kurt."

Kurt looked up and saw that Blaine's face had softened, his joking matter set aside.

"What do you think it's going to be like? Being parents? I know we both say we're ready, but… this is really happening, you know? I just don't want to screw up. What if she hates me?"

Kurt felt his own face turn serious. "She could never hate you. And you're going to screw up at some point, but I am too. Carole said that being a parent is the hardest thing she's ever done, but also the most rewarding. You have to know that things aren't always going to be perfect and you're going to mess up sometimes." Kurt began to steer Blaine towards his prison. "Back to bed, you."

The look that appeared on Blaine's face made Kurt wonder if he wasn't above throwing a temper tantrum in his current state and he wondered too if he might see the same look on his child one day. Blaine unwillingly lowered himself back on the bed and had just let Kurt pull up the covers when Burt knocked.

"Come in." Kurt called, after an affirming glance from Blaine.

"Hey, just stopped by to see how things are going. I got a call about a car some guy needs fixed no later than today. And I'll be a phone call away if you boys need anything, alright? Carole should be here in a few hours. Finn had mandatory football practice to train the new recruits, but he said he'll come by later too. I'll be back as soon as I'm done with the car."

"It's no problem dad."

"Yeah, things are going swimmingly," Blaine said sarcastically, which caused Burt's mouth to twitch in a smile.

"Elizabeth got irritated too before she had Kurt. Try to be patient, Blaine."

"Easy for you to say," Blaine grumbled and Kurt stroked his hand.

"Thank you, dad. I'll call if anything happens."

He nodded and held up a plastic grocery bag that Kurt hadn't noticed. Burt walked over and set it down on the table near Blaine. "I stopped by the store on the way here. Let me know if you need anything else, alright?"

Kurt nodded and gave his father a meaningful smile. He was glad when Blaine did the same. Burt left and Blaine groaned, leaning back into the pillows. "I'm sorry I'm being such a… a…"

"Jerk?" Kurt supplied gently and continued to rub his hand.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. But you'd better get all of that out now because it's the only time I'm going to forgive you when you're cranky." Kurt joked.

A quiet laugh huffed from Blaine's lips. "We'll see who is needing to forgive who when we've pulled our first all-nighter with the jellybean."

"Oh, please." Kurt leaned down and pressed his forehead to Blaine's. "We both know you've pulled many an all-nighter before finals."

"Does that mean I get to see your bitchy side?" Blaine smiled.

"Only if you want to lose a limb."

"I'll be sure to keep the jerkiness to a minimum then."

Kurt kissed his forehead. "Want to see what dad brought?"

Blaine's eyes lit up and one hand was already reaching blindly towards the bag. Kurt leaned over and pulled it closer, taking care to not upend it and send the contents flying all over the bed. He set it beside Blaine's hip and they both reached in, pulling out bottles of SoBe water, granola bars, a chocolate bar, pretzels, a book of crossword puzzles, and one of those games Kurt had when he was little: a red wooden ball attached by a string to a painted cup with a handle. Kurt grinned and immediately grabbed the cup and ball game.

"What's that?" Blaine asked, tearing open a package of pretzels and licking off the salt.

"It's addicting is what." Kurt replied, flicking his wrist and sending the ball flying, but nowhere near the cup. "There's a trick to this. I know there is. I just can't remember…"

After trying and failing multiple times, he passed the game onto Blaine, who had the same results and gave up quickly, setting his eyes on the crossword puzzle book instead. Kurt turned the smooth wooden ball in his hand and set it on the table, to be attempted later. For now, he just sat with Blaine and dominated at the crosswords.

A call from Carole came an hour later, after two of the SoBe waters had been drained and the pretzels were half-gone (eaten by Kurt). She let them know she was going to be late, but only an hour or so. He told her it was fine. It was nice to be here with Blaine, who'd stopped complaining for the time being. He was dying to call the Warblers, but didn't think that having them crowd into this room was going to help things. He loved the Warblers, but he knew that if he called and even mentioned the words baby, Blaine, and hospital in the same sentence, they would jump to conclusions and think that Blaine was having or had the baby. He figured he'd call later at night, when they would be at rehearsal and that way Blaine could talk to them too. Blaine had fallen asleep a little while ago and Kurt wanted him to get as much rest as possible. He ran his fingers through Blaine's hair while he slept.

Kurt felt himself getting tired too. They both hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few days and while Blaine was asleep, he let himself close his eyes as well.

*******

He woke up to the shifting of a body on the mattress. Kurt opened his bleary eyes and noticed that it was darker in the room. The sun must be setting. Blaine was moving around on the mattress with a crease between his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Kurt croaked, then cleared his throat and asked again. Even his words were tired apparently.

"I can't get comfortable. It's like no matter what position I try to sleep in, this one," he pointed an accusing finger at his belly, "doesn't like it." He groaned and sat back again, closing his eyes. "I'm seriously considering sleeping standing up."

Kurt smiled. "And falling over would surely help your health situation."

Blaine began moving again and pursed his lips together. "Great." He sighed. "And now I have to pee. Why did you let me drink those SoBes?"

"You were thirsty!" Kurt said as he moved to help Blaine sit up. "I wasn't going to let you not drink anything."

Blaine moved slowly and then suddenly stopped. His eyes were wide and a blush filled his cheeks. "Kurt," he whispered, not meeting his eyes. "I don't think I was fast enough."

It took Kurt a moment to realize what Blaine meant. "Oh." He petted Blaine's hair. "Don't worry. I'll get a nurse okay? Don't be embarrassed, alright?"

He paged the nurse and waited with Blaine, but was set on alert when he quickly said, "Kurt, I still really have to pee."

"But… but didn't you…"

"I need to pee right now."

Kurt didn't know what else to do besides help him up and shuffle to the bathroom. Blaine took a few steps and then a sharp inhale of breath made Kurt freeze. Blaine was staring straight ahead, as if afraid to know the answer, when he asked quietly, "Did my water just break?"

Kurt felt his heart slam in his chest. He looked down and saw that the floor beneath Blaine was wet, dripping down his legs. His eyes widened and Blaine's scared voice asked, "Kurt?"

He tried to force humor into his words. "Good thing I paged the nurse, huh?"


	21. Chapter 21

Once Blaine was settled back in bed, the nurse had gone to alert the doctor that Blaine's water had indeed broken. Kurt and Blaine were alone again after the nurse had asked him a bunch of questions that he had answered in short sentences.

"Oh my god, I'm not ready for this." Blaine whispered to no one in particular. His face had drained of all color and he swallowed nervously.

"You're going to be just fine. Don't you worry." And Kurt was glad that the doctor came in then because he didn't really know how he could keep Blaine calm because he was scared as hell himself.

"Hello, Blaine." Dr. Mariad rang out as she came in. Kurt immediately liked her voice and hoped she could do a better job of calming Blaine right now than he could. "I hear we're moving things along?"

"Is the baby okay? I'm not supposed to…" Blaine sighed.

"I know he's wanting to come early but we'll do the best we can alright? Know that there is nothing we want more than the safety of you and your baby." She assured him and Kurt could see Blaine relax. He hoped that Blaine felt like he could trust this doctor. It would make things a heck of a lot easier. "Are you having contractions?" That tensed Blaine right up. So much for making things easier.

"Yes," he answered with a sheepish look at Kurt.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Kurt was more hurt than angry.

Blaine mumbled something that sounded very much like 'didn't want to worry you.'

"On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, how bad are they?" Dr. Mariad continued to take his blood pressure and temperature as she spoke.

"Umm… a two I guess?"

"Okay. How far apart to you think they are?"

"Umm… twenty minutes? I really don't know though."

"Try to time them and if they get any less than six or so minutes apart, page a nurse and we'll see if we can't get things rolling. But we'll see how your labor progresses from here."

"You're not going to give him anything to stop the contractions?" Kurt asked.

Blaine looked up at him. "Once the water breaks, they usually want to get the baby out, right?"

Kurt felt a laugh bubble up in his chest, but was silenced when Dr. Mariad smiled and said, "You could put it that way, yes. When the membrane sac ruptures, the baby is telling us he wants out. There's really not much we can do once that happens."

They knew their baby was going to be early, but Kurt had seriously been hoping for a few more days to help his lungs mature. Or at a time when his parents were here. Heck, he'd even settle for Finn right now.

"What happens now?" Kurt was practically rubbing a ditch into Blaine's hand, but Blaine didn't seem to mind.

"We have an OR available at noon. If there are complications, we can do an emergency cesarean, but for now, we'd like to let labor take its natural course."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand lightly and for a moment, Kurt thought it was because he was scared but he realized it was because he was having a contraction.

"You okay?" Kurt asked.

He nodded, mumbling, "Contraction."

Dr. Mariad checked the clock. "Still the same pain-wise?"

"Yeah." Blaine didn't really look phased, but he knew the worst was yet to come.

"If they get too bad, we can get you an epidural and don't be afraid to ask for one if you need it. You'll be getting one anyway once the anesthesiologist comes to prep you, but it won't harm the baby if you need one earlier. Did you have any other questions so far?"

"No, I don't think so." Kurt looked to Blaine for confirmation, who nodded.

"Alright, then. I'll be checking on my other patients, but feel free to page a nurse if you need anything."

"Thank you." Kurt said and Blaine echoed his words.

Then they were alone again. Kurt glanced at the clock on the opposite side of the bed. "7:25. Tell me when you have another one."

Blaine nodded, squeezing his fingers little more tightly around Kurt's. But he knew that it wasn't because he was in pain. Kurt squeezed back and his other hand trailed over his cell phone, where he plucked it out and dialed first his dad, then his mom.

********

Blaine pursed his lips together. That one hurt. A lot. It had only been around forty minutes since Dr. Mariad left and he'd had three contractions since then. They were getting worse, and closer together it seemed. And his fear was increasing.

This was really happening right now. It still felt like a he was in some kind of dream world. Until a very real contraction would snap him back to reality.

He hissed out a breath between his teeth. Let labor take its course. Yeah, sure. He'd been so terrified that something was going to happen while he was pregnant that it really didn't occur to him to think about the actual labor. Then again, this wasn't supposed to be happening right now. He was supposed to have a cesarean on a predetermined day and everything was supposed to be fine. But munchkin was eager to leave his home, it seemed. And he was in pain right now.

Kurt sat next to him on the bed and held him. "Want me to get the nurse?"

"No, it's okay." When Blaine said he hated hospitals, he really meant it. If it wasn't absolutely necessary that he be at the hospital right now so they could monitor the baby, he would be at home in a second. He hated needles, he hated being stuck on the bed with limited trips up and down to stretch his legs, and he hated feeling like this. Thankfully, Carole had arrived about half an hour ago. It felt nice to have her presence in the room, even if she just sat and talked to him gently. It seemed to help.

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "You don't have to put on a brave face, Blaine. If it hurts, tell us."

He stared at her for a long moment. And another contraction hit. His features crumpled. "It hurts," he whispered.

Kurt had no idea what to do. He felt so terrible for Blaine and horrid that there wasn't anything he could do to make the pain go away. He was rubbing Blaine's hand raw, but he just felt so hopeless that he couldn't help.

"Is your back cramping too? Happened to me with Finn."

"Yeah," he breathed as the contraction subsided.

"Kurt, honey, why don't you rub his back?"

Kurt nodded immediately, glad to be doing something. Carole helped Blaine shift onto his side and Kurt climbed up next to him, putting gentle pressure on his lower back. Blaine sighed appreciatively, but Kurt kept his touches light for fear of making the pain worse. Carole petted Blaine's hair.

"All you had to do was ask, dear."

"I hate feeling weak." Blaine said, voice stronger that the contraction was at ease for now.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked cautiously from behind him.

Blaine was quiet for a moment. Kurt saw indecision flash in his eyes. "My parents don't…" He sighed and Kurt said gently, "You don't have to tell us."

"No. No, I want to. It's just hard."

Kurt nodded against his neck encouragingly and Blaine continued slowly, choosing every word with care, "It's my dad, mainly. My mom just goes along with it because she doesn't want to disappoint him or something. He was so proud to have a son who he could make into his little business partner. Instead, he got me. My dad tried to instill the same ethics that his own father did in him, the typical 'traits of a man' if you will. I rebelled at first, but after a while, I just gave in. Whenever I was around him, I acted and dressed the way he wanted me to. One of the things I wasn't 'allowed' to do was show weakness. I'd fall and scrape my knee or something and he'd tell me I shouldn't cry. So I didn't. And I guess it stuck with me." He turned his head a bit. "Rules don't apply with you, Kurt. You've seen me cry more times than I can count." A small laugh echoed. "But-ah."

He tensed and lightly closed his eyes. Kurt put a little more pressure where he was rubbing Blaine's back and put his lips to Blaine's ear, whispering encouragement. Carole squeezed his hand. He let out a soft groan as the contraction subsided.

"But this hurts," he said in a voice weaker than before, "and I just hear his voice telling me to stop being weak. And it doesn't help that I'm in labor right now. He was so disappointed when he found out…"

Kurt's sad eyes flickered to Carole and he was so grateful when she said, "Well you don't have to worry about any of that here. We're all here for you. Burt should be here in an hour and Finn not long after that. We're all going to support you and if you need to cry, then do it." She smiled and it seemed to brighten the room. "That doesn't make you any less of a man."

He gave her a smile and it was the first real smile Kurt had seen on Blaine's face since the doctor had left. Kurt was so glad that Carole was here and even more relieved when Burt came in after finishing fixing the brake cables on the car he'd gotten called in for, saying Finn would be over soon. Kurt knew he wouldn't have been able to do this without his family there to support them.

*******

The closer it got to noon, the more anxious Kurt felt. It had been another hour and Blaine's contractions were getting stronger. He'd refused an epidural so far and as much as Kurt tried to tell him that it was okay to get one if he needed it, he'd still put his foot down. Kurt knew this wasn't pride though. This was straight fear. Kurt could see that plainly in his eyes. He'd rather be in pain than have to deal with a needle.

And a large needle at that. He didn't know what to think when the clock ticked ten-thirty and the anesthesiologist arrived, complete with her little cart of torture devices. Blaine looked anywhere but at the blue cloth covered cart where the instruments rested underneath. Kurt could practically hear Blaine's heart speed up as she explained the procedure and what to expect. She had him sit with his legs dangling off the side of the bed and exposed his back. Kurt wanted to be there with him, to support him, but she told him to sit down. Precautionary thing because they didn't want him fainting. Grumbling, Kurt did as he was told while Burt and Finn went to wait outside and Carole knelt in front of Blaine. Carole held his hands as the doctor scrubbed iodine at the base of his spine and spoke to him gently. Blaine's eyes were huge with fear and he was squeezing Carole's hands so hard. But she squeezed back just as tightly and her eyes never left his as she continued to talk him through the fear. The needle wasn't even near him, only in the doctor's hands and Kurt's eyes went wide and he was glad she'd made him sit down, and he saw that Blaine was shaking terribly. When she announced to him to be ready, Kurt saw tears begin to streak down Blaine's cheeks and he whimpered.

Kurt was on his feet in a second, kneeling down beside Carole and locking his eyes with Blaine's, grasping one of his hands tightly. Blaine's head drooped forward and he was shaking so badly, the doctor had to tell him to try and stay still otherwise she wouldn't be able to do this. He let out a jerky breath from between his pursed lips. Kurt stretched his neck up and kissed his nose.

"You can do this, baby." He whispered, hoping that it would be enough.

Then another contraction hit and Dr. Amy was forced to wait until it was over. Kurt continued to talk to him in soothing tones to get him to stop holding his breath. Kurt felt Carole's hand moving gently on his back as he tried his best to help Blaine. After his breathing returned to a semi-normal rate, Dr. Amy told them that she had to do this now and it would be worse if she wasn't done with the procedure when the next contraction happened. Kurt felt his stomach twist at the amount of pain and fear Blaine would feel if that was the case.

"Let her do this, Blaine. Squeeze our hands, alright? This is going to help so much. Then we can see our baby sooner, okay?" Kurt let his mantra tumble off his lips. He didn't really know what to say and his throat threatened to close up with the way Blaine's eyes filled with tears again.

Blaine sucked in a sharp breath when the needle went in and closed his eyes, tightening his grip on his supporter's hands. Kurt had begun humming to him loudly, hoping that maybe he could focus on that and not the stinging hurt. His features seemed to relax the tiniest amount and then he let out a cry of pain. Kurt swore he felt his heart break. His own eyes welled with tears, but he didn't break his song. He pressed his lips to Blaine's palm as he hummed and Carole gently stroked the tears off of Blaine's cheeks.

It seemed like they were there for so long while Blaine gripped their hands to the point of putting their extremities to sleep in an effort not to move. Because then they'd have to start all over again. And Kurt seriously did not know if Blaine could be put through that a second time.

But finally it was over and Blaine was told he could lay back. Kurt tucked the covers gently around him. He was still shaking, but didn't seem too scared anymore. "You did so good, baby." Kurt whispered and lightly stroked his slightly damp hair. His eyes no longer held straight fear. Dr. Amy collected the consent forms that Blaine had signed a while ago and left.

Kurt could almost immediately see the affects of the medication slowly dripping from the clear fluid filled bag into the line now in Blaine's back. His eyes darted to the clock, where it showed Blaine was supposed to have another contraction, but there was hardly any registration of it on his face.

"Baby? Do you feel anything?"

Blaine's eyes narrowed for a moment and he frowned. "No." Then a small smile brightened his face. "I don't feel anything. It doesn't hurt!"

Kurt couldn't help but laugh. Finn and Burt had been standing in the back, but moved forward once it was clear that Blaine was not going to bite their hands off. They fell into an easy conversation together and Kurt felt comfortable enough to leave Blaine to sit in the nearby chair. Carole's hand stroked through his hair. He looked up at her and said quietly, "Those drugs are amazing."

Carole smiled. "Enjoy the drugged-induced happiness while it lasts."

He had to cover his mouth to hide his small laugh, then he sighed. "Is he going to be in pain after?"

She squeezed his shoulder gently. "If he is, they'll give him painkillers."

"I just feel terrible. He's been through so much and…" Kurt trailed off, eyes drifting to where Blaine was talking with Finn, one hand moving methodically on his belly.

Carole pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Oh, honey, don't worry okay? You and I both know that Blaine would do this again in a heartbeat for his baby and for you."

Kurt let out a soft breath.

"And who knows?" She whispered, "With everything that's been going on, we never did get you checked. We should probably do that…"

It took a moment for what she was implying to sink in. "Carole!" He hissed. "I think one baby is quite enough."

She patted his arm at the alarmed look on his face. "I'm just kidding, honey."

Kurt had never even thought of that. And now the door had been thrown wide open and it was all that was running through his mind. What if he did have the gene? What if he could have a baby? Kurt couldn't justify making Blaine do this again if he didn't want to and had just automatically set his far-off thoughts on adoption if they ever wanted more children. But… if he could give Blaine another baby if that was what he wanted….

Kurt wanted as many kids as they thought they could handle. In a perfect world, he wanted three or four. He shook his head lightly and quickly dispelled of all the thoughts as a nurse came into the room, announcing that the operating room was ready ahead of schedule. Blaine's face paled so quickly, Kurt would have been terrified he was going to pass out if he wasn't already sitting down. She began to check his vitals.

Blaine's eyes went straight to Kurt and he got up to hold his hand tightly.

"Are we ready to have a baby?" Dr. Mariad chirped happily as she entered and Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt's hand. Blaine laughed, but it was the nervous kind of laugh, with so much apprehension, it made Kurt frown.

"You'll be fine, baby." Kurt whispered, nuzzling in close pressing their foreheads together. Kurt felt Blaine nod against his hair.

If time had been seeming to creep by, now it was as though things were happening very quickly.

Blaine was unhooked from the heart and fetal monitors and the IV line and Kurt was told he could go into the OR if he wanted. He was nodding before Dr. Mariad even finished her sentence. Carole gave them both an encouraging smile as the nurses pulled up the locking brake on the bed and began to wheel Blaine out the door. Kurt returned her smile as best as she could as Burt said, "We'll see you in the waiting room, kiddo."

He nodded and followed along, keeping his hand intertwined with Blaine's. They were taken down to the OR and into a room, where Kurt was given a hospital gown, shoe covers, and a hair net, all in the same shade of light blue, before he was allowed to enter and sit beside Blaine's head. They'd given Blaine something in that time period. He had a hair net on too and seemed more groggy than before as Kurt gently stroked his hand. The nurses were bustling about and Kurt hardly even noticed as the surgeon came in and began to scrub iodine onto the incision site.

Kurt laughed lightly and laid his hand on Blaine's forehead, where stray curls were trying with all their might to break free of their hair net prison. "We match."

"Kurt. I can't feel my legs."

He pressed a hand to his mouth to stifle the bubbling laugh. Whatever they had given him had taken effect quickly and apparently made him a bit loopy. "It's fine, honey. Trust me, be glad you can't feel anything right now."

"Alright, we're ready to get started." The OR doctor announced and Kurt felt his heart skip a beat. There were nurses at the ready for when the baby was born and Kurt was thankful for that. Just in having more people in here, he felt better for the safety of their baby. But he really wished that Carole or his father could have been here. He smiled down at Blaine, who was looking with a great degree of fascination at the ceiling.

"What are you looking at?"

"It's so pretty."

Kurt glanced up at the blank tiles above them, then back down at Blaine and just continued to smile. He was feeling so much adrenaline at the moment that he doubted he could do anything but smile. A screen had been pulled up at Blaine's chest and he could hear quick words exchanged between the doctor and assistants. Kurt kept his ears pricked for any change in the tone of their voices that would indicate a problem and just kept talking softly to Blaine.

"This is it, honey."

Blaine blinked, pulling out of his drugged up haze and gave him a genuine smile full of the playful giddiness Kurt loved. "We're having a baby?"

"We're having a baby," Kurt repeated softly and kissed his nose.

Blaine's smile wrinkled into a grimace.

"What's wrong?"

"Hurts."

"Hurts? What hurts?" Kurt looked around frantically, but was hushed by Blaine.

"No, like… I don't know how to describe it. Pulling? I guess. Yeah, like pulling. More… uncomfortable than pain."

"Oh." Kurt trained his ears to hear the doctor.

And suddenly he heard a soft sound. Like the mewl of a kitten.

Oh. His eyes immediately filled with tears and he snapped his head up.

"Congratulations." The doctor said gleefully but Kurt didn't care who said it because there was a tiny baby in her hands peeking over the blue sheet.

Kurt forgot how to breathe then. His eyes were glued to the little baby, who was whisked away before he could entirely take in this moment. He craned his neck and spun around, watching the back of the nurse who was placing their baby in an incubator and putting something over the tiny, perfect mouth.

He felt Blaine's hand smacking against his arm. He whipped back around to see Blaine staring at him with terrified eyes.

"Why….? Where did….?"

Kurt choked back his tears. "It's a girl, Blaine," he said, the smile on his lips before he could help it. "You were right. You were right the whole time."

The tears began to fall when he saw Blaine begin to cry, the hot tears pooling in his eyes and dripping down the sides of his cheeks.

A nurse came up next to them while the doctor was quick at work sewing Blaine back up. "Congratulations you two. Your baby's quite premature so we're making sure her lungs are working just as well as they should be and getting her all pretty before she meets you."

Kurt nodded, feeling nothing but elation. He thought he might just float away from the sheer amount of happiness coursing through his veins.

"I love you," he said, kissing Blaine on his trembling lips.

"I love you too." He whispered back.

They were silent for a bit, tears streaking down their faces and holding hands in awe. There were times in these past months that had been hell, but now as they were moved to a recovery room and a nurse appeared a short while later with their daughter, those times were pushed out of their minds. Because this tiny little girl was worth all of that and more.

"Clean bill of health." The nurse in purple scrubs announced as she handed her off to Kurt's waiting arms. "She's a bit small, but that's to be expected with her being so premature. She'll have to stay here for a few weeks to make sure everything's okay, but she should be able to go home soon. I'll send up another nurse in a bit to see when you want the rest of your family to come up and see her. And Dr. Mariad should be in soon."

"Thank you." Kurt whispered and didn't even hear the nurse leave. He slowly turned back to where Blaine was sitting up, supported by pillows and a new IV line in his wrist, looking tired and somewhat stoned, but became alert the moment he saw his daughter in Kurt's arms.

Kurt moved forward and shifted his hold to give Blaine a better view, who couldn't move much right now, both from aching pain and an effort to not tousle the new stitches. A soft sigh fell from his lips and the tears welled up again.

"Oh, Kurt. She's beautiful. She has your nose."

Kurt smiled and gently lifted the hat from the head of his sleeping child. "And your hair."

They both grinned as the tiniest evidence of Blaine's dark curls peeked out. Kurt carefully laid her on Blaine's chest as he held her securely.

"She's perfect."

"Little Miss Perfect needs a name." Kurt said, a million girls' names now running through his mind. There was a few that he'd thought about that he liked, but he thought he wouldn't really know until he saw her. And there was one name right now that stood out from all the rest.

"Did you have something in mind?"

"Audrey."

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "A la Audrey Hepburn?"

"The very same."

Blaine looked down at the peaceful bundle in his arms. "I like it. It suits her. It's perfect. Audrey Elizabeth Hummel-Anderson."

More tears misted Kurt's eyes. "Elizabeth?"

"If you want." Blaine said gently.

Kurt felt overcome by this new wave of emotion and it was all he could do to nod. After a moment, he pulled up a chair and rested his chin on his hands. "Seems like we've waited so long for this. It's kind of weird that she's here now."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way." A slight frown appeared on Blaine's face. "Well, I lied. I could do without the giant needle in my back."

Kurt laughed and the nurse came back, followed by Dr. Mariad. The nurse went to go get the rest of the family downstairs and bring them back up.

"How are we doing?" Dr. Mariad asked. "Looks like the little one is fast asleep." She smiled at them and then turned to Blaine. "It'll be normal to feel discomfort right now and for the next week or so. Be careful not to move around abruptly. Don't want to damage those stitches. You'll be given some painkillers and you should be up and walking around a bit within the next few days. Recovery can take a few weeks, but I know you'll have lots of help with the baby once you go home so you can get your rest."

Kurt nodded eagerly. He knew his parents would be very willing to help. Although he had a feeling he would have to get used to many sleepless nights. But he was okay with that.

"Once she wakes up, page a nurse and we'll have them show you how to bottle feed her and anything else you have questions about. Is there anything I can answer now?"

"No, I'm fine. Blaine?"

He shook his head.

"Thank you then, for everything."

"It's my job." She smiled. "And I love every minute of it. Take care alright?"

He smiled at her and then they were alone for a few more minutes until the rest of the Hummels arrived. Their meeting was filled with many tears, hugs, kisses, and passing around of little Audrey, who continued to sleep in dreamland. Finn didn't hold her because he was scared he would drop her, even though Kurt and Blaine both said they trusted him. But Kurt figured that Uncle Finn would warm up eventually.

"Hey, guys… umm, what do I tell people? I've been getting calls and texts like crazy for a while because both of you aren't answering your phones and I think Mercedes is about to 'get crazy up in here.'"

Kurt laughed. "Tell them the truth. But let them know we'll have Audrey's big debut when Blaine is feeling up to it."

Blaine sent Kurt a grateful look. Once all the adrenaline and strong painkillers wore off, he knew that the last thing he'd want to deal with was people, even if they only wanted to get a glimpse of his daughter. Carole had dutifully been taking pictures of the new family and now Finn snapped one with his cell phone of Kurt with his face pressed up against Blaine's cheek and their daughter between them to send to their friends.

Once the initial excitement had faded, everyone sat quietly while Kurt held Audrey in his arms and walked slowly around the room, humming gently. Blaine was tired but kept forcing his eyes open. Kurt didn't stop humming but threw him a look that said 'go to sleep,' which he ignored. He rocked Audrey gently and looked up when he heard the sound of the door being opened. And he almost stopped mid-hum.

He clutched Audrey tighter to his chest. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were in the doorway, closing the door quietly. Kurt glanced back at Blaine. Finn stood and clenched his hands into fists.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed quietly, eyes darting over to the still-sleeping baby.

Burt put his hand on Finn's shoulder. "Relax, Finn. I called them. I'm sorry, Blaine. I should have told you."

"Why?" Finn accused.

"They're his parents and they should know. Blaine is still a minor, even if he turns eighteen in two weeks."

There were tears in Mrs. Anderson's eyes as she saw her son. "Oh, baby," she whispered and took a few steps forward. "Oh, honey."

"What do you want?" Blaine asked, ice in his words.

Kurt had quickly made his way to Blaine's side, their daughter safe in his arms.

"We… we came to see you, honey." She said, glancing back at Mark.

"I can see that. And now you can leave."

"Blaine, son, please." Mark said softly, stepping up beside his wife. "We were horrible to you. I was horrible to you. I've done so many things that I regret and there's nothing that can equate to how deeply sorry I am. I treated you like no father should ever treat their son and… and I'm sorry it took me so long to see that you are everything I could have ever wanted in a son. After I saw you on that news special, I wanted to go over and beg for you to forgive me. But I…" he let out a sobbing gasp, "I was so scared that you wouldn't. You had every right not to. And you still do. But you need to know that we love you and I know that that doesn't make up for years of every horribly wrong thing I've ever said to you, but I hope that you can forgive us, forgive me, someday. I don't deserve your forgiveness but I want you to know that I love you. And I accept you, and Kurt, and your baby."

There were tears streaking down Heather and Mark's cheeks. Blaine was silent, matching tear trails on his cheeks as he looked at Kurt. He'd been wanting to hear that for so long, for so very long now, and it almost didn't seem real. He didn't know if he could forgive them yet. But they were trying and it was more of an effort of love that he'd known in so long. And they not only loved him, but his family too, Kurt and Audrey.

Blaine slowly turned back to his parents and nodded. Heather let out a sigh of emotion and carefully cupped his cheeks in her hands to kiss him on the forehead, whispering how much she loved him and how very sorry she was for everything.

Blaine closed his eyes and swallowed hard as she let go and took a step to the side. Mark moved closer and very lightly, very slowly, reached out and pressed his hand to Blaine's cheek, the same cheek he had slapped. Blaine did not flinch, but grasped his father's wrist with his own hand, telling him softly, "I know."

Mark choked back a sob as the tears rolled down his cheeks and then he pulled away, looking up at those around him. Kurt was the first to speak.

"I can never overlook what you did to him, but if he forgives you, then I'm willing to try."

The hope and need was evident in the eyes of Mark and Heather Anderson and Kurt thought that, given time, they could be a true part of this family. Kurt's statement was echoed by Carole and Burt and though Finn said so grudgingly, Kurt hoped that they could prove to him that they were deserving of forgiveness.

The nurse in the purple scrubs came back a short while later and had to take Audrey back to the nursery for follow ups and rest. The Hummels left after that, with promises to be back later that day, and the Andersons followed, with promises of their own to be back if that was what they both wanted. Kurt and Blaine lightly held hands and nodded after a moment of silent communication.

As it was silent in the room with everyone gone, Kurt kissed Blaine's forehead and whispered for him to go to sleep. Blaine tried to resist, but Kurt wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Your eyes are so red, you look high. Go to sleep so our daughter doesn't think you're an addict."

"I'm high on love." Blaine sang, prompting an eye-roll from Kurt.

"Now she'll really think you're crazy."

"No, she'll appreciate my dorky sense of humor."

"Whatever you say. Now go to sleep before I make the nurse come in here and knock you out. Or I'll do it myself, whichever you prefer."

Blaine smirked, but his eyelids drooped and ruined the effect. He let his eyes slip closed and held Kurt's hand tighter. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too, my curly-haired miracle maker."

Kurt could see Blaine roll his eyes even under closed lids. "Miracles happen every day," he mumbled, half asleep already.

"Sure they do," Kurt whispered. "It's just another ordinary miracle in Lima." He smiled as the faint grin appeared on Blaine's face and then softened as he let sleep take over.

Kurt had never been so happy. And so damn tired. He rested his head against his elbow next to Blaine's hip and let his own eyes close, glad to be getting some sleep before Carole would wake him up when they came back to assess how little Audrey was doing.

And his dreams were void of any fear or darkness or worry and as he slept, Audrey curled her little fingers into a tiny fist and slept like the angel that her fathers had known she would be.


End file.
